Auburn and Illinois State meet in the NIT semifinals tonight, with the Tigers having a few notable advantages. The stylistic differences in this matchups stand out in a large way.
My Auburn vs. Illinois State predictions and college basketball picks break down why I like War Engle to roll on Thursday, April 2.
Auburn vs Illinois State prediction
Who will win Auburn vs Illinois State?
Auburn: The Tigers have a massive athleticism advantage, which is difficult to quantify with metrics, but you can see it throughout the games each of these teams have played in the tournament. Beyond that, Auburn has clear places to attack the Illinois State defense.
Auburn vs Illinois State best bet: Auburn -8 (-116)
The Auburn Tigers can crush the Illinois State Redbirds in transition. The Tigers are one of the best in the country on the break, and this is in an area where the Redbirds really struggle, allowing over 1.2 points per possession.
This looms large because Auburn’s athleticism should do a good job of speeding this game up.
On the other end, the Redbirds' offense has real limitations. This is a 22nd-percentile pick-and-pop with a post-up game that produced just 0.82 points per possession.
Auburn's defense is not good, but Illinois State does not have the shooting or creation to exploit it.
COVERS INTEL: Auburn has one of the highest free-throw rates in the country, exceeding 42%, ranking 12th nationally.
Auburn vs Illinois State same-game parlay
I projected this total at 151, and while I think Illinois State struggles to score at times, it still gets the benefit of playing against a poor defense.
On the other side, the Tigers are well set up to score in bunches in transition, and when they don’t, they’ll attack a defense that fouls at an above-average clip.
Auburn vs Illinois State SGP
- Auburn -8
- Over 149
Our beyond the arc SGP: Hall is well
Keyshawn Hall having a big scoring game and Auburn winning going pretty much hand-in-hand. He’s both the main scoring in transition and also the best option to show the Tigers' athleticism advantage.
I paired this with Johnny Kinziger to go Under his assist total. He should really struggle to facilitate against a bigger and faster opponent.
Auburn vs Illinois State SGP
- Auburn -8
- Over 149
- Keyshawn Hall Over 19.5 points
- Johnny Kinzinger Under 3.5 assists
Auburn vs Illinois State odds
- Spread: Auburn -8 | Illinois State +8
- Moneyline: Auburn -350 | Illinois State +275
- Over/Under: Over 149 | Under 149
Auburn vs Illinois State betting trend to know
Illinois State has only hit the team total Over in 10 of its last 25 games (-7.50 Units / -26% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for Auburn vs. Illinois State.
How to watch Auburn vs Illinois State
| Location | Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN |
| Date | Thursday, April 2, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 9:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
Auburn vs Illinois State key injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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