Illinois State vs. Auburn Prediction Odds, Key Player to Watch for NIT Semifinal

Auburn is favored against Illinois State in the NIT semifinals. | DENNY SIMMONS / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers barely missed out on the NCAA Tournament, and now they're out to prove that they're still one of the better teams in college basketball by winning the NIT. They've gotten past South Alabama, Seattle, and Nevada so far, and will now take on Illinois State in the semifinals on Thursday night.

Illinois sit entered the tournament as a 4-seed, but has won three-straight games, including upsets over Wake Forest and Dayton.

Let's dive into the odds and my best bet for this NIT semifinal showdown.

Illinois State vs. Auburn Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Spread

• Illinois State +6.5 (-105)
• Auburn -6.5 (-115)

Moneyline

• Illinois State +230
• Auburn -285

Total

• OVER 149.5 (-110)
• UNDER 149.5 (-110)

Illinois State vs. Auburn How to Watch

• Date: Wednesday, April 1
• Game Time: 10:30 pm ET
• Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena
• How to Watch (TV): FS1
• Baylor Record: 16-16
• Minnesota Record: 15-17

Illinois State vs. Auburn Betting Trends

• Illinois State is 5-1 ATS in its last six games
• The UNDER is 6-3 in Illinois State's last nine games
• Illinois State is 4-1 ATS in its last five games as an underdog
• Auburn is 2-14 ATS in its last 16 games
• The UNDER is 4-1 in Auburn's last five games

Illinois State vs. Auburn Key Player to Watch

• Keyshawn Hall, F - Auburn Tigers

Keyshawn Hall leads Auburn in both points per game, averaging 19.4, and rebounds per game, averaging 6.9, while also adding 2.6 assists and shooting 44.4% from the field. He had a rough second-round game against Seattle, shooting just 28.6% from the field, but bounced back with a 14-point, six-rebound game against Nevada in the quarterfinal.

Illinois State vs. Auburn Prediction and Pick

It's tough to trust Auburn to cover big spreads. The Tigers' defense has been one of the worst in the country this season, ranking 294th in defensive efficiency, far below Illinois State, which comes in at 39th in that metric.

Auburn, despite winning, has failed to cover the spread in all three NIT games. They beat South Alabama by just nine points, and then Seattle and Nevada both by six. That doesn't give me a ton of faith that they can follow that up with a dominant performance against the Redbirds.

Give me the points with Illinois State.

Pick: Illinois State +6.5 (-105) via FanDuel

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