Illinois vs UConn Elite 8 picks, predictions, odds: Who wins March Madness game?
No. 3 seed Illinois and No. 1 seed UConn play Saturday, March 30 in an NCAA Tournament Elite Eight game in Boston, Massachusetts.
The East Region game is scheduled for 3:09 p.m. PT and can be seen on TBS/truTV (stream with Sling TV).
Who will win the March Madness game and advance to the Final Four? Check out these NCAA Tournament regional final picks and predictions for the men's college basketball matchup.
UConn is an 8.5-point favorite in the game in March Madness odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook. The Huskies are -375 on the moneyline. The Fighting Illini are +300. The over/under for the game is set at 154.5 points.
Illinois defeated No. 2 seed Iowa State in the Sweet 16, 72-69. UConn beat No. 5 seed San Diego State, 82-52.
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Peoria Journal Star: UConn 82, Illinois 75
Wes Huett writes: "Illinois beat Iowa State in a contrast of styles, able to have its playmakers execute down the stretch. UConn will be a much larger task for the Illini, who must hope to keep it close enough to give players like Terrence Shannon a chance to be playmakers in big spots. But the Huskies are not the Cyclones, and we think they have enough to outrun the Illini."
College Football News: UConn 83, Illinois 75
Pete Fiutak writes: "Illinois has the exact right makeup pull this off. Again, size isn’t a problem. It won’t be outrebounded by the Huskies - at least, it won’t be outrebounded by enough to matter. The offense isn’t a problem. There’s more than enough pop to score in any way possible, just like UConn does. What’s missing is the consistent defense. Illinois will apply pressure, but it doesn’t come up with takeaways, and there’s a problem when the shots don’t drop. The team is 0-3 when it doesn’t get to 40% from the floor, and it’s 5-6 when it doesn’t get to 44%. UConn won’t stuff the Illinois attack, but it’ll come up with the big late stops the other side won’t."
Who is still in March Madness? See remaining NCAA Tournament teams
KenPom.com: UConn 82, Illinois 76
The site predicts that the Huskies will defeat the Fighting Illini in the East Region final on Saturday.
Action Network: UConn 78.3, Illinois 72.8
The site gives the edge to Connecticut in the Elite Eight game in Boston, Massachusetts.
ESPN: UConn has a 76.1% chance to beat Illinois in March Madness
The site gives the Fighting Illini a 23.9% shot at defeating the Huskies in the Elite Eight March Madness NCAA Tournament game.
STREAM THE GAME: Watch Illinois vs. UConn live with Sling TV
BEST BETS: These are the best Arizona college basketball betting sites
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Illinois vs UConn Elite 8 NCAA Tournament picks, predictions, odds
