The time of March Madness is officially here with the first full day of the NCAA Tournament tipping off on Thursday!

Out of the B1G, a pair of teams will be in action, including Michigan State continuing it’s NCAA Tournament streak in the first game of the day. Illinois will follow in the afternoon as fans settle in for a full day of hoops.

Ahead of tipoff, get up to date on the latest odds and trends with our full Big Ten betting preview:

8 Mississippi State vs. 9 Michigan State | 12:15 p.m. ET | CBS | Charlotte, North Carolina

Michigan State kicks off the first full day of NCAA Tournament action with a showdown against a fellow MSU — Mississippi State out of the SEC. The Spartans played most of the second half of the season on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament but found themselves squarely in the field and out of the First Four matchups. The Bulldogs enter a 2nd straight NCAA Tournament under Chris Jans and produced a pair of signature wins over Tennessee this season. Both teams in this matchup struggle on the offensive side of the ball at times but produced top-20 rankings in KenPom‘s adjusted defensive efficiency. Michigan State finished with a top-10 defense per the metric.

Spread: Michigan State -1.5 (via ESPN Bet)

Total: 130.5 points (via ESPN Bet)

3 Illinois vs. 14 Morehead State | 3:10 p.m. ET | truTV | Omaha, Nebraska

Illinois rolls into the NCAA Tournament as winners of the Big Ten Tournament behind a historic weekend from Terrence Shannon Jr. The Illini were already safely in the tournament regardless, but Shannon’s electric performance has a lot of momentum on Illinois’ side entering the Big Dance. Meanwhile, Morehead State is also led by a 20 points per game scorer in forward Riley Minix. The Illini enter the NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 team in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency but are 92nd for defensive efficiency, pointing to a potential shootout on Thursday.

Spread: Illinois -11.5 (via ESPN Bet)

Total: 145.5 points (via ESPN Bet)

3 picks

UNDER 130.5 points (via ESPN Bet) in Michigan State vs. Mississippi State

This game has all the makings of an epic defensive struggle to begin the NCAA Tournament. That’s a matchup which could benefit Tom Izzo’s squad, but it will not be conducive to a large point total. In Michigan State’s last two games against NCAA Tournament teams, the games produced point totals of 129 (vs. Purdue) and 102 (vs. Northwestern). Neither of those teams rank as high as Mississippi State when it comes to adjusted defensive efficiency. Watch for this one to come down to the buzzer in a game unlikely to see either team hit 65 points. If the Spartans win, be sure to track the rest of their March Madness odds with Tradition’s Michigan sports betting apps.

OVER 145.5 points (via ESPN Bet) in Illinois vs. Morehead State

In the last 8 games for Illinois, the point totals have reached 148+ points 7 times and 150+ 6 times. During the B1G Tournament run, the Illini averaged 89.33 points per game, and the defense is unlikely to show up and suddenly shut down teams in the Big Dance. Further complicating matters for the Illini, they have shown a tendency to fall behind in games and trailed by double digits in the final two games in Minneapolis. All of that adds up to a recipe for a shootout and the exact opposite type of game from the one involving Michigan State and Mississippi State to begin the day. And be sure to track the future odds via Tradition’s Ohio sports betting links and apps.

Terrence Shannon Jr. OVER 24.5 points (via DraftKings)

Shannon is undoubtedly on a heater entering the Big Dance, though Morehead State does present a tough defense. The Eagles held their opponents to 29.6% shooting from 3-point range, so the Illini will be tested from deep. However, Shannon’s work at the free-throw line is the difference-maker here. He attempted at least 11 free throws in every B1G Tournament game and averaged 12.66 points per game from the free-throw line alone. Even if Shannon regresses to his per season averages, he’ll attempt just shy of 9 free throws while shooting 81% from the line. That, and his recent scoring trend, points toward a big afternoon from Shannon.