Published Mar 30, 10:41pm ET by
Gabriel Kozlow - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Mar 30, 10:41pm ET
Updated Mar 30, 10:41pm ET
Get ready for an intense battle between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the UConn Huskies in the Final Four. The game will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and can be viewed on TBS, truTV, and HBO Max.
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| UCONN HUSKIES | +110 |
| ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI | -130 |
Illinois deserves a lot of credit for the way it has played in this tournament, as the Illini have handled their path impressively through the first four games. Their toughest matchup came against Houston, a game they won 65-55, and they also earned wins over Pennsylvania, VCU, and Iowa.
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The Illini have several players capable of shaping the outcome, especially Keaton Wagler, Andrej Stojakovic, David Mirkovic, and Kylan Boswell. Their game against Iowa featured 13 lead changes, but Illinois eventually pulled away for a 71-59 win behind 25 points from Keaton Wagler.
We all witnessed Duke’s epic collapse, which allowed the Huskies to win almost at the buzzer with a historic shot. UConn trailed by 19 points in the first half but battled all the way back through timely plays and relentless effort, never taking its foot off the gas.
UConn has won five national championships in program history, including two in the last five years. Much of that success is thanks to head coach Dan Hurley, who has done an excellent job of adapting the team’s style of play to fit today’s game. Against Illinois, the Huskies will need to play hard and make shots from the very beginning, rather than digging themselves into another hole against such a strong offensive team.
Despite UConn’s epic win over Duke, Illinois enters the game as a 2.5-point favorite. The over/under is set at 139.5, with the moneyline at -130 for Illinois and +110 for UConn. The No. 2 and No. 3 seeds are typically close, with only a slight edge going to the higher seed.
The Fighting Illini are still searching for their first national championship. They'll first need to get past the Huskies for that opportunity. Illinois has been playing excellent basketball throughout March Madness, but UConn is well coached and carries strong momentum from its last win. We are taking the Huskies to advance to the national championship.
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Pick
UConn Huskies (+110)
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