Illinois (3) vs. UConn (1) Elite Eight Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
The Huskies opened as 8.5-point favourites to win this East Region Elite Eight matchup, while the total is sitting at 155.5 on the college basketball odds.
Illinois vs. UConn NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
The winner of this game is headed to the Final Four at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona where they will face the winner of the West Region, either No. 4 Alabama or No. 6 Clemson. It would mark a second consecutive trip to the Final Four for UConn, while Illinois hasn’t reached the fifth round of the NCAA Tournament since 2005.
The Fighting Illini are riding a seven-game win streak and they are a perfect 8-0 straight up in neutral site games this season. They’re 23-13-1 against the spread for the year, with covers in five straight games. Illinois is currently sitting at +1800 to win the tournament.
The Huskies have won 10 straight games overall and they are 10-0 in neutral site games this year. They’ve also been a solid cover option, going 25-12 ATS overall, including 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games. UConn remains the betting favourite to win the tournament at +110.
Illinois Fighting Illini (3)
Illinois reached the Elite Eight by taking out No. 14 Morehead State and No. 11 Duquesne before a tight 72-69 win over Iowa State in the Sweet 16. The Fighting Illini never trailed against Iowa State and held the Cyclones to just 39.7 per cent shooting. Terrence Shannon Jr. once again came up clutch, finishing with a game-high 29 points to go along with five rebounds and three steals. Shannon, who is the third-highest scoring player in the nation at 23.5 points per game, is averaging 28.3 ppg in the tournament.
Connecticut Huskies (1)
UConn has cruised in the NCAA Tournament with blowout wins against No. 16 Stetson, No. 9 Northwestern and No. 5 San Diego State. The Huskies beat San Diego State 82-52 in a rematch of last year’s national title game. UConn got it done by committee in the Sweet 16 as four players finished with double digit points. Cam Spencer put up 18 points, Tristen Newton had 17 points and Stephon Castle added 16 points and 11 rebounds. The Huskies are the first defending national champion to reach the Elite Eight since Florida in 2007, who went on to repeat as champs.
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