Table of Contents
The No. 8 seed Arkansas Razorbacks (20-13) are a 2.5-point favorite in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament against the No. 9 seed Illinois Fighting Illini (20-12) on Thursday at Wells Fargo Arena. The matchup starts at 4:30 PM on TBS. Here are insights into this West Region 8-9 matchup to help you fill out your bracket.
Got a good feeling for who’s gonna win the whole NCAA tournament? Make a March Madness bracket at RunYourPool, invite some friends, and earn that sweet taste of victory — all using the Internet’s #1 March Madness software.
Start here >
How do I watch Razorbacks vs. Fighting Illini?
- Game Day: Thursday, March 16, 2023
- Game Time: 4:30 PM ET
- TV Channel: TBS
- Location: Des Moines, Iowa
- Arena: Wells Fargo Arena
Betting Lines for Razorbacks vs. Fighting Illini
| Favorite | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | -2.5 | 144 |
Arkansas Betting Stats & Information
- Arkansas has put together an 18-6 record in games when it was listed as the moneyline favorite (winning 75% of those games).
- When playing as a moneyline favorite with odds of -149 or shorter, the Razorbacks have an 18-4 record (winning 81.8% of their games).
- The Razorbacks’ ATS record is 15-16-2 this season.
- The Fighting Illini are a perfect 5-0 against the spread when an underdog by 2.5 points or more this year.
- Arkansas’ average point total in matchups this season is 141.8, 2.2 points fewer than the total in this game.
Illinois Betting Stats & Info
- This season, Illinois has been the underdog six times and won two of those games.
- The Fighting Illini are 5-3 this season when entering a game as the underdog by +127 or more on the moneyline.
- The Fighting Illini are 18-14-0 against the spread this year.
- The Fighting Illini are 5-0 against the spread when an underdog by 2.5 points or more this year.
- The average total for Illinois’ games this season is 2.4 fewer points than the point total of 144 in this outing.
Arkansas vs. Illinois Season Stat Comparison
| Arkansas Rank | Arkansas AVG | Illinois AVG | Illinois Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 118th | 74.4 | Points Scored | 74.7 | 110th |
| 98th | 67.4 | Points Allowed | 67 | 85th |
| 139th | 32.4 | Rebounds | 35.5 | 23rd |
| 165th | 8.7 | Off. Rebounds | 10.2 | 43rd |
| 347th | 5.1 | 3pt Made | 7.7 | 139th |
| 150th | 13.4 | Assists | 12.5 | 225th |
| 245th | 12.5 | Turnovers | 12.4 | 232nd |
This Matchup’s Impact Players
Arkansas Razorbacks Leaders
- Ricky Council IV leads the Razorbacks in scoring, tallying 15.9 points per game to go with 3.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists.
- Arkansas’ leading rebounder is Makhi Mitchell averaging 5.5 boards per game and its best passer is Anthony Black and his 4.2 assists per game.
- The Razorbacks get the most three-point shooting production out of Davonte Davis, who knocks down 1.3 threes per game.
Illinois Fighting Illini Leaders
- Coleman Hawkins has racked up 6.3 rebounds and three assists per game, putting him atop the Fighting Illini leaderboards in those categories.
- Illinois’ Terrence Shannon Jr. averages 17.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game, making him the top scorer on the squad.
- Matthew Mayer is reliable from distance and leads the Fighting Illini with 2.1 made threes per game.
