UConn vs. Illinois prediction, odds, pick for Final Four showdown

March Madness converges to Indianapolis for the Final Four as we’re back with a prediction and pick for the upcoming action. The No. 2 UConn Huskies will take on the No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini with a berth to the NCAA Championship game on the line. Check our March Madness odds series for the UConn-Illinois prediction and pick.

The UConn Huskies advanced to the Final Four following their unlikely comeback over No. 1 Duke, hitting a last-second heave from 35 feet to lift them 73-72 at the buzzer. Dan Hurley is eyeing to become just the seventh coach in NCAA history with a three or more championships.

The Illinois Fighting Illini handedly took down the No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes 71-59 to advance to the Final Four, winning all four of the NCAA tournament games by double-digits. They’ll see their first Final Four since 2005, the same year they won their last championship title.

NCAA March Madness odds courtesy of DraftKings

UConn vs. Illinois Odds

UConn: +1.5 (-105)

Illinois: -1.5 (-115)

Over: 139.5 (-112)

Under: 139.5 (-108)

UConn vs. Illinois Key Injuries 

Illinois will continue with a number of injuries throughout this Final Four appearance, center Jason Jakstys out with an undisclosed injury and guard Ty Rogers likely out with a knee injury. Neither player has logged any minutes during this March Madness tournament, however, so things should be business as usual for the Illini.

UConn doesn’t have any major injuries to report on their own end as guard Silas Demary Jr. and forward Jaylin Stewart both returned from minor injuries during the last two games of the tournament. Stewart is likely to be under another minutes restriction while all signs are positive regarding Demary’s ankle injury.

UConn vs. Illinois Betting Trends

• The UConn Huskies are 9-1 in neutral site games this season. The Illinois Fighting Illini are 6-3.
• Illinois is 24-5 when listed as the betting favorites. UConn has gone 1-0 as underdogs.
• UConn is 15-23 ATS overall, 6-4 ATS in neutral sits. Illinois is 22-14 ATS overall, 6-3 ATS in neutral sites.
• UConn (4-1) leads the all-time series vs. Illinois.
• Illinois is 4-1 ATS in their last five games.
• UConn is 5-2 ATS in their last seven games.
• The total has gone UNDER in Illinois’ last five games against Big East opponents.
• The total has gone UNDER in four of UConn’s last six games.

Keys to UConn vs. Illinois Matchup

When looking at their resumes thus far, the Illinois Fighting Illini have certainly looked like the more dominant team up to this point, especially following their dominant 65-55 win over No. 2 Houston. UConn has had their own magic moments throughout this tournament, but they struggled to put away No. 4 Michigan State late and were one shot away from watching this Final Four from home. Still, both teams are more than deserving of this spot and the betting odds are right where they should be, a single basket separating the likely outcome between these two squads.

Illinois is headlined by Keaton Wagler, who notched 25 points against Iowa and has been the team’s most accurate player from the field. The Illini are 34.8% from deep during March Madness, the exact same mark as UConn has set during the tournament, but the Illini are much more lethal with their mid-range game and drawing fouls around the rim. It’ll be interesting to see how aggressively they attack UConn’s Tarris Reed Jr. in the paint and try to force him into foul trouble.

Illinois’ Andrej Stojakovic will also be a player to watch as he’s scored 13 or more points in each of their last three games. The Illini have several scoring options to look towards in Stojakovic, Wagler, and other players David Mirkovic contributing to their balanced attack. UConn, however, will have one of the tournament’s most dominant players in Tarris Reed Jr. and should be able to offset some of the Illini’s perimeter production behind the defense of senior Alex Karaban.

Karaban was a huge source of success for UConn from three against Michigan State and when he struggled against Duke, Braylon Mullins was able to step up with his own clutch shots and ease some of the pressure. Dan Hurley has been displaying a coaching masterclass throughout this tournament and his preparation ahead of Illinois will have to be perfect.

UConn vs. Illinois Prediction and Pick

There’s no doubt the UConn Huskies have been playing the better team basketball with more assists, rebounds, steals, and blocks than Illinois throughout this tournament. However, opposing teams simply haven’t been able to keep up with Illinois and their offense is catching heat at the right time.

While I expect UConn’s Tarris Reed Jr. to have another great game, Illinois seems like the hottest team in this tournament and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. I expect their shooting to carry over into this game as they advance to the National Championship final.

Final UConn vs. Illinois Prediction & Pick: Illinois -1.5 (-115); OVER 139.5 (-112)

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