The epic clash of the nation’s best offense against the nation’s best defense will go the way of the bucket-getters. Iowa State’s aggressive defensive pressure sometimes leaves open looks and that’s where Illinois can make them pay. The Fighting Illini have enough dangerous shooters to do that and so I love catching two points with a team I think is going to win.

A battle of top offense and defense in the country. With a line this short, this could come down to free throws. Illinois is the better free throw shooting team, shooting 74.2% as compared to the Cyclones 69.9% on the season. Since the Big-10 tournament, Terrence Shannon Jr. has been unstoppable. Iowa State plays great team basketball but does not have a player like Shannon Jr. that can take over a game on both sides of the court. The Fighting Illini has guard play and size downlow to compete with Iowa State and possibly reach the Elite 8.

The Fighting Illini currently has the top-ranked offense at Kenpom. While Iowa State is known for its excellent defense, they have mostly played against weaker opponents in non-conference games, ranking 345th in difficulty. Illinois has a more experienced team as they rank 11th in Division 1 experience, compared to Iowa State's ranking of 124th. Illinois also has a better free throw percentage, ranked 85th, whereas Iowa State ranks 293. Teams with size may challenge the Cyclones as Illinois ranks 8th in average team height, while Iowa State ranks 100th. Furthermore, Illinois is a much better rebounding team, ranking 6th compared to Iowa State's ranking of 238th. I will gladly take the points in this spot!