Thursday, May 17th, 2012
The Illinois Fighting Illini from the Big Ten conference will take on the UNLV Rebels from the Mountain West conference in an NCAA Tournament college basketball game on Friday night.
Start time from BOK Center in Tulsa Oklahoma is scheduled for 9:20PM Eastern Time with national television coverage provided by TBS.
The point spread in this NCAA Tournament game opened at pick with an over under of 132 points.
Pick up Tony’s Top Rated College Basketball Picks and Best Bets on today’s card.
The bettors have come in with their early money on the side of the Rebels as UNLV is currently lined as -2 ½ point betting favorite.
The total has moved up to 132 ½ points.
UNLV Rebels money line supporters will lay -135 odds with the underdog Illinois Fighting Illini bringing back +125 odds to post the upset victory without the need for getting the points.
These schools last met way back in November of 2000 and it was the Illinois Fighting Illini with the 74-69 victory against the Rebels.
Illinois enters play in the NCAA Tournament with a record of 19-13. The club is 1-4 on a neutral court this year.
The Fighting Illini qualified for the NCAA Tournament as an at large team from the Big Ten conference.
Illinois averages 71.3 points per game and hits on 46.8% from the floor. The team hits on 38.7% from three and 72.9% from the free throw line.
Defensively the team gives up 65.2 points per game and 40.1% shooting from the field. Opponents convert on 30.5% from three against Illinois.
Illinois concluded regular season play losers of 8 of their past 13 games.
In the Big Ten conference tournament the Fighting Illini was eliminated early in their first game dropping a 60-55 decision to Michigan as a -3 point favorite in the quarterfinal round.
The team has notable non-conference victories against Oakland at home and at Gonzaga 73-61 as a -1 ½ point favorite.
They dropped games in the non-conference to Texas, Illinois Chicago and Missouri on a neutral court.
Notable home wins in Big Ten conference play came against Wisconsin, Michigan St, Michigan and Penn St.
Their only road wins against Big Ten conference opponents came at Minnesota and Iowa.
The UNLV Rebels own an overall record of 24-8 on the season. The team is 4-1 on a neutral court.
The Rebels qualified for the NCAA Tournament as an at large team from the Mountain West conference.
UNLV averages 71.9 points per game and hits on 46.1% from the floor. The team coverts on just 33.1% from three and 69% from the free throw line.
Defensively the Rebels give up 62.6 points a game and 40% shooting. Opponents hit on 32.4% from the three point line against UNLV.
The team played well down the stretch winning 6 of their past 7 games.
In the Mountain West conference the Rebels opened play with a 69-53 win against Air Force as a -12 ½ point favorite.
In the semifinal round the UNLV Rebels dropped a 74-72 decision to the San Diego Aztecs as a +1 ½ point underdog.
UNLV owns a notable non-conference win this season against Kansas St 63-59 as a +2 point underdog.
Losses in the non-conference came at Louisville by 8 points and a very bad 68-62 home defeat to UC Santa Barbara as a -15 ½ point betting favorite.
UNLV has no notable wins in Mountain West play as the team lost three times to San Diego St and twice to BYU.
Trend: UNLV Rebels are 4-1 to the over in their past 5 games.
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Tags: betting, college basketball, friday, illinois fighting illini, march 18th 2011, ncaa tournament, Odds, pick, preview, tbs tv, unlv rebels
