An Ivy versus a powerhouse Thursday night.
Penn faces off against Illinois on Thursday night in what many expect to be a mismatch, with the Fighting Illini established as massive 24.5-point favorites at Fanatics Sportsbook.
It appears to be a mismatch, with data analytics site KenPom ranking the Fighting Illini No. 7 in the nation, while Penn comes in at No. 151.
Similar analytics guru Bart Torvik is even more bullish on Illinois, placing the Big Ten squad as the No. 6 team in the nation, while Penn sits at No. 148th.
It’s a tough spot for the Quakers following their unlikely Ivy League championship, since they will likely need to outsmart their opponent and get lucky from beyond the arc to escape with a potential victory.
Penn vs. Illinois prediction
You’re asking for a lot if you expect Penn to come in here and upset Illinois, and while anything can happen in March Madness, I’m not expecting much magic here.
In fact, my model has some value on the favorite in what could end up looking like a laugher come Thursday night, where fans may be flipping the channel to a more competitive game in the late window.
The score projection I have for this game comes in at 89.99 to 62.75, making the spread roughly 27 points for this South Region clash.
Rarely do you find value in a favorite north of 20 points, but that’s the spot we find ourselves in.
Betting on College Basketball?
The Quakers are the same team that lost to Harvard, Yale, and Columbia in three consecutive games in late January.
Illinois is a top team in the country and could give opponents fits later in the tournament, with a deeper run than many expect for the offensive force.
PREDICTION: Illinois -24.5 (-110, bet365)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt but he has a black belt in MMA betting. During the football season he’s showcased massive profits at The Post in the player prop market the last two seasons. While constantly betting long shots, his return on investment is 30.15 percent since 2022.
