Illinois vs. UConn odds: Win probability, final score prediction for Fighting Illini, Huskies in Elite 8
On March 30, No. 1 seed UConn and No. 3 seed Illinois will square off in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. It’s nothing new for UConn, which won the national title last season with a dominant run in March. However, Illinois has not reached the Elite Eight since the 2005 season when the program lost in the national championship to North Carolina.
UConn is riding high into Easter weekend after bunny-hopping past San Diego State in a 30-point blowout. In the win, the Huskies owned the lane, scoring more than twice as many points in the paint than the Aztecs. The Huskies have only lost once in 2024.
Illinois can’t say the same. Yet, they’re certainly dangerous. Most recently, the Fighting Illini downed No. 2 seed Iowa State 72-69 on Thursday evening. Terrence Shannon Jr. was spectacular in the win, erupting for a game-high 29 points on 10-19 shooting.
Odds for Illinois vs. UConn
Las Vegas evidently doesn’t expect UConn’s momentum to slow down anytime soon. The Huskies are currently 7.5-point favorites against the Fighting Illini, according to DraftKings. Further, the site listed the money line for UConn at -325 while Illinois sits at +260. The point total over/under currently sits at 156.5.
It’s not a surprise to see oddsmakers’ confidence in the Huskies. The team has won its three games in the NCAA Tournament by an average margin of 28.6 points per game. No team came within single digits of UConn in its run to a national title last season.
Final score predictions for Illinois vs. UConn
KenPom Predicted final score: UConn 82, Illinois 76
KenPom Win probability (for UConn): 71%
KenPom is a predictive system for college basketball. It’s designed to show how strong a team is at a given time, without taking factors like injuries into account. For this game between UConn and Illinois, KenPom agrees with Vegas, projecting the Huskies to walk away with a victory.
How to watch Illinois vs. UConn
Time: Saturday, March 30, 2024 at 6:09 p.m. ET
Channel: TruTV/TBS, Prime Video (streaming)
Location: TD Garden — Boston, MA
UConn and Illinois will go head-to-head on Saturday at 6:09 p.m. ET. The winner will advance to the Final Four while the loser’s season will come to an end. The game will take place in the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
For fans outside of the area, the game will be broadcast on a to-be-determined network. Additionally, fans can tune into the highly-anticipated matchup on Prime Video.