Drexel vs Illinois Picks and Odds

• The Illinois Fighting Illini begin their journey through the NCAA Tournament against the Drexel Dragons at 1:15pm EST on Friday, March 19th
• Brad Underwood’s team is a 20+ point favorite against the Dragons who are in the Tournament for the first time in 25 years
• See the odds and preview of the afternoon’s game below

What makes the Drexel-Illinois matchup extra interesting in this year’s NCAA tournament is not the Dragons, though they are a great 16-seed story after winning the Colonial Athletic Association title and making the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 25 years.

Gamblers’ extreme fixation with the Fighting Illini is what makes it interesting, because what BetMGM is seeing as the bet tickets come in is astounding. A remarkable 37.3 percent of the handle is coming in on Illinois to win the championship, shortening the odds down from where they were.

“Illinois has been one of the best teams in the country all season and BetMGM has taken consistent action on the Illini. Illinois has moved from +8000 to +700 to win NCAA Tournament and is one of the sportsbook’s biggest liabilities.” Seamus Magee, head Sports Trader at BetMGM said.

With that in mind, can Illinois build the faith with a big win over a 16 seed to begin their potential title run?

Illinois vs Drexel Odds

Odds  from Draft Kings on March 19th

Mascots Aside, Any Chance the Dragons Win?

Only one No. 16 seed has ever defeated a No. 1 seed, that coming in 2018 when UMBC defeated Virginia. Before that, No. 16 teams were 0-132.

So yes, it would be a big thing if Drexel, a 22.5-point underdog, ousted the top-seeded Illini, who defeated Ohio State in overtime to win the Big Ten tournament. They have won seven in a row and 14 of 15, including victories over ranked conference opponents Wisconsin and Iowa.

THE FIGHTING ILLINI ARE YOUR BIG TEN TOURNAMENT CHAMPS!!!

📸: @mike_atkenson pic.twitter.com/POKtLKzTYg

— Big Ten Champs 🏆 (@BarstoolILL) March 14, 2021

Illinois is led by junior forward Ayo Dosunmo, who averaged 20.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists and is considered a top NBA prospect.

They went 16-4 in the Big Ten and 23-6 overall, including a 23-point late-season victory over Michigan that is clearly weighing more heavily in gamblers’ minds than the Illini’s early-season loss to Baylor.

They should outclass Drexel, whose toughest opponent was Pitt in a season-opening 83-74 loss.

What Weapons Do The Dragons Have In Their Lair?

The Dragons are one of the biggest underdogs in the first round and will be one of the first teams to play, with tipoff at 1:15pm EST. And hey, someone always steals the show on Day 1, right? Even if it is on a Friday this year instead of the usual Thursday.

An upset by Drexel would be pleasant news for BetMGM, whose exposure is enormous. The second-most played team is Gonzaga at 24.6 percent of handle. No other school cracked the 5 percent mark.

More Dragons sending their best wishes to @DrexelMBB in the NCAA Tournament!🐉🏀💪#DragonsAreDancing #MarchMadness #GoDragons @DrexelDragons @Drexelalumni @gp_xiii @K_Abif1 @CoachAshHoward @MalikRose @Dami0nLee @Fir3Drill @DavidStec34 pic.twitter.com/h1BFIPMesj

— DragonClub (@DragonClub1995) March 18, 2021

The teams have never played before.

Drexel’s best player is usually 6-foot-2 guard Camren Wynter from Hempstead, N.Y., a junior who logged more than 36 minutes per game in his last two seasons and averaged a team-leading 16.8 points  per game but was 3-for-12 in the conference championship game against Elon.

They were bailed out by the three-point shooting of reserve Melon Okros, who made four of them off the bench. But Drexel turned the ball over 14 times in that game, including four by Wynter, and if they do that against Illinois it will not be pretty.

The best known former Drexel player is Malik Rose, who spent several seasons in the NBA with the Hornets, Spurs and Knicks and now works in the league office after a stint last season in the Detroit Pistons’ front office.