Illinois vs. UConn Prediction, Odds and Key Players for NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
By Reed Wallach
The defending champs are one step closer to a second straight National Championship, but in its way is the best offense that isn’t them.
The Connecticut Huskies continue to destroy its competition en route to being the clear favorite to cut down the nets next week in Glendale, Arizona. In the Huskies way is Illinois in the Elite Eight, who navigated the best defense in the country in Iowa State to win a competitive Sweet 16 matchup.
Will Terrence Shannon Jr. and the Fighting Illini be up to the task, or are the Huskies set to cover yet again in the NCAA Tournament?
Here’s our full betting preview:
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Illinois vs. UConn Odds, Spread and Total
UConn vs. Illinois Betting Trends
- UConn is 25-12 against the spread (ATS) this season
- Illinois is 22-13-1 ATS this season
- Illinois is 6-1 ATS as an underdog this season
- Illinois has gone OVER in 25 of 36 games this season
Illinois vs. UConn How to Watch
- Date: Saturday, March 30
- Game Time: 6:09 PM EST
- Venue: TD Garden
- How to Watch (TV): TBS
- Illinois Record: 28-8
- UConn Record: 34-3
Illinois vs. UConn Key Players to Watch
Illinois
Terrence Shannon Jr.: Playing as good as anybody in college basketball, Shannon has scored 26 or more in seven straight games, dating back to the start of the Big Ten Tournament. Shannon is a knockdown shooter, 36% from beyond the arc, but his best trait is his ability to get to the free throw line and dictate the pace of the game, averaging nearly nine free throw attempts per game.
UConn
Donovan Clingan: The Fighting Illini have a formidable front line, but it’ll be Clingan’s versatility to pull defenders away from the rim that will turn this game around. The 7’2” sophomore is a capable passer and shoots 64% from the floor. Can he unlock this Illinois defense that has been gashed with opponents getting downhill, like the Huskies do with its array of motion offenses with the likes of Tristen Newton?
Illinois vs. UConn Prediction and Pick
You can’t price these UConn games correctly as the team continues to steamroll the competition.
I’m not stepping in front of the train on Saturday either.
Instead, I’ll target the over.
Iowa State shot 12-of-26 on layups in the Sweet 16 loss, a sign that the offense couldn’t take advantage of a still vulnerable Illinois defense, but UConn won’t have the same issue, the team is third in the country in field goal percentage at the rim, per Haslametrics.
With UConn’s ability to move off the ball and create clean looks from the perimeter or easy finishes at the cup, the Illini defense that is bottom 10 in the country in turnover percentage will be undressed in short order. Further, do the Huskies have another gear?
The team is shooting 30% from beyond the arc in three NCAA Tournament games, but has scored nearly 83 points per game.
Meanwhile, Shannon and co. will push the pace and try to answer. The team’s positional size should give the team some ability to match UConn’s high octane offense. The team’s ability to get to the rim and also continue to lean on big man Dain Dainja off the bench against Clingan may keep the offense en tract for much of this game.
The pace should be fairly quick with a ton of free throws as well.
I’ll root for points in the Elite Eight instead of stepping in front of the Huskies, who have covered in nine straight NCAA Tournament games dating back to the start of last year’s title run.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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