It’s the Fighting Illini of Illinois against the Huskies of Connecticut on Saturday. The winner will be the first team to punch their ticket to the NCAA Final Four in Phoenix. This game features the third-seeded Illini against the top-seeded Huskies ready to battle on the scores and odds.
Illinois vs ConnecticutPicks
our bet for this game is the Illinois Fighting Illini +8.5 over the UConn Huskies
- Pick: Illinois +8.5.
Illinois comes into the game with a 29-8 record on the season. The Fighting Illini have won seven straight NCAAB games. Illinois won their Big Ten finale against Iowa and then won three straight in the Big Ten Tournament. The Illini have downed Morehead State, Duquesne, and Iowa State so far in the March Madness Bracket.
For Dan Hurley and his Connecticut Huskies, they are 34-3. The defending national champion won the Big East regular season, and conference tournament, and has won 10 straight games. UConn is coming off a 30-point win over San Diego State in the tournament. They also eliminated Stetston and Northwestern. Continue reading to discover the latest Illinois vs Connecticut Betting Analysis and our March Madness betting picks.
Illinois Fighting Illini vs Connecticut Huskies Information
Some information for one of the NCAA Basketball games today, before our Illinois vs Connecticut Betting Analysis:
Illinois Fighting Illini (29-8) vs Connecticut Huskies (34-3)
Date & Time: Saturday March 30th, 2024; 6:09 pm EST
Location of the game: TD Garden; Boston, MA
Where to Watch: TBS
Illinois Fighting Illini vs Connecticut Huskies Recent Scores
Some recent scores on the NCAAB schedule:
Illinois Fighting Illini Last 5:
- Saturday, March 16th, 2024: 98-87 win over Nebraska Cornhuskers
- Sunday, March 17th, 204: 93-87 win over Wisconsin Badgers
- Thursday, March 21st, 2024: 85-69 win over Morehead State Eagles
- Saturday, March 23rd, 2024: 89-63 win over Duquesne Dukes
- Tuesday, March 28th, 2024: 72-69 win over Iowa State Cyclones
UConn Huskies Last 5:
- Friday, March 15th, 2024: 95-90 win over St. John’s Storm
- Saturday, March 16th, 2024: 73-57 win over Marquette Golden Eagles
- Friday, March 22nd, 2024: 91-52 win over Stetson Hatters
- Sunday, March 24th, 2024: 75-58 over Northwestern Wildcats
- Thursday, March 28th, 2024: 82-52 win over San Diego State Aztecs
Illinois Fighting Illini vs Connecticut Huskies Betting Analysis
Betting on March Madness has been great so far, here is the first NCAAB odds for the Elite 8 action at BetUS:
- Spread: UConn Huskies -8.5, Illinois Fighting Illini +8.5
- Total: 154.5
- Moneyline: UConn Huskies -385, Illinois Fighting Illini +295
Illinois Fighting Illini vs Connecticut Huskies Betting Preview
Huskies Unstoppable Offense
In the dominating 82-52 victory over San Diego State, the Huskies saw four players go for double-digit scoring figures. Cam Spencer led the scoring charge with 18 points, while Tristen Newton added 16. In their previous win over Northwestern in the second round, Newton was the leader with an impressive 20 points and 10 assists.
Throughout the season, Newton has emerged as the team’s primary scorer, averaging over 15 points per game. Spencer closely trails with 14.4 points, followed by Alex Karaben at 13.7 and Donovan Clingan at 12.8. Collectively, the Huskies maintain an average of over 81 points per game, ranking 21st in all of College Basketball. UConn separates itself as one of the most unselfish teams in College Basketball, averaging 18.7 assists per game.
UConn started their season with a streak of seven straight wins. However, their first loss came on the road against Kansas in early December. Later, Coach Hurley’s team suffered two additional losses, one against Seton Hall on December 20th and another, a 19-point defeat against Creighton towards the end of February. Of note, the Huskies have limited their opponents to 60 points or fewer in six of their last seven games.
Orange & Blue Back in Elite 8 After 18 Years
The Fighting Illini of Illinois mirrors the UConn Huskies in terms of how well they are playing. Dominating the Big Ten Tournament and maintaining their momentum into the NCAA Tournament, Illinois comes in as an offensive juggernaut averaging nearly 85 points per game.
The Orange and Blue find themselves back in the Elite 8 for the first time since 2005.
Since their impressive run in the Big Ten tournament commenced, the Fighting Illini have consistently shown off their offensive ability, scoring 77, 98, 93, 75, 89, and 72 points in back-to-back games. Terrence Shannon Jr. has emerged as a standout performer on the offensive end, notably delivering a stellar 25-point performance in a crucial win against Iowa late in the season. Furthermore, Shannon’s offensive output has remained great, scoring 28, 40, 34, 26, 39, and 29 points since the start of the Big Ten Tournament.
Although Illinois started their season with a promising 2-0 start, they faced a defeat against Marquette. Additional losses for the Orange and Blue this season include games against Tennessee, Purdue, Maryland, Northwestern, Michigan State, Penn State, and a second defeat to Purdue.
Illinois Fighting Illini vs Connecticut Huskies Betting Prediction
Dan Hurley and Brad Underwood are two of the most intense College Basketball coaches in all of the country. Both guys have their teams playing great basketball right now. Illinois has never played better basketball than they are right now. They are shooting the ball well, sharing it great, and when they need to get stops, they are doing so. But, the Huskies are a whole new animal. UConn is playing at an elite level, and have won nine straight NCAA Tournament games by double digits. This is going to end that streak, as the Illini will surely compete, but in the end, the Huskies are going to win the game.
After this deep Illinois vs Connecticut betting analysis, our bet for this game is the Illinois Fighting Illini +8.5 over the UConn Huskies. The Huskies win the game 78-72 over Illinois.
- Pick: Illinois +8.5.
Discover the latest stats and trends of this matchup here:
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