Teams that have struggled of late will look to turn things around and try to make a deep NCAA Tournament run when the ninth-seeded Illinois Fighting Illini face the eighth-seeded Arkansas Razorbacks in a first-round West Region matchup on Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa. The Fighting Illini (20-12), who finished tied for fifth in the Big Ten Conference at 11-9, were 2-3 on neutral courts this season. The Razorbacks (20-13), who tied for ninth in the SEC at 8-10, were 4-2 at neutral sites. This will be the sixth-ever meeting between the teams with Illinois holding a 5-0 series advantage.

The game from Wells Fargo Arena will tip off at 4:30 p.m. ET. The Razorbacks are favored by 1.5 points in the latest Illinois vs. Arkansas odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 144. (See up-to-date odds for every game this week on our college basketball odds page.)

Before making any Illinois vs. Arkansas picks, or NCAA Tournament selections, you need to check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Div. I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters the 2023 NCAA Tournament 79-53 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning nearly $1,300 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed the model has seen HUGE returns!

The model knows junior guard Ricky Council IV helps power the Razorbacks. In 33 games, including 26 starts, he is averaging 15.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals. He is connecting on 44.5% of his field goals and 77.4% of his free throws. Entering the SEC Tournament, he had reached double-figure scoring in five consecutive games, including 22 points in a 97-65 win over Georgia on Feb. 21. He scored a season-high 27 points in a 74-61 win over Troy on Nov. 28.

But the model also knows senior guard Terrence Shannon Jr. helps power the Fighting Illini. In 30 games, including 29 starts, the Texas Tech transfer has been a force, averaging 17.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals. He is connecting on 44% of his field goals and 79.2% of his free throws. In the Big Ten Tournament second-round loss to Penn State, Shannon scored 19 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out four assists.

Now, the model has set its sights on Illinois vs. Arkansas. We can tell you the model is leaning Under on the point total, and it also says one side of the spread hits in over 60% of simulations! You ABSOLUTELY need to see the model before locking in any college basketball picks.

Who wins Illinois vs. Arkansas? And which side of the spread covers over 60% of the time? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the Illinois vs. Arkansas spread you should be all over Thursday, all from the model on a roll on college basketball picks!