Saturday’s East Regional final will feature a heavyweight bout between two offensive giants.
The NCAA Tournament game between top seed Connecticut and third seed Illinois (6:09 p.m. ET, TBS/truTV) should be a great matchup, but I’d avoid the spread and focus on a different betting angle. ing.
Let’s take a look at this Elite 8 matchup.
University of Illinois vs University College Odds
| team | spread | money line | total |
|---|---|---|---|
| illinois | +8.5 (-110) | +300 | o154.5 (-110) |
| university university | -8.5 (-110) | -385 | u154.5 (-110) |
University of Illinois vs University College Analysis
Returning to the Big Ten Tournament, this will be Illinois’ fourth straight game against a slow, defensive-minded opponent.
The Huskies were a slightly below-average team in terms of pace a year ago, but have turned into a snail this season (319th).
However, despite the similarities in pace, the Huskies have little in common with Illinois’ previous opponents like Duquesne and Iowa State.
What we do know on the Illinois side is that Brad Underwood’s team will try to facilitate the transition game in any way possible.
The Fighting Illini are the second-fastest team on the field after Alabama.
But the thing about UConn, a team comfortable with the half-court game, is that it has the weapons to coax a faster game.
We saw this played out in the Big East tournament against St. John’s (185 total points) and against Xavier, the fastest team in the Big East.
The Huskies scored 186 points in the two games against the Musketeers.
Dan Hurley’s elite defense, which ranks fourth in the nation in shooting efficiency, won’t be able to defend against Glacier’s pace Saturday.
If the Illini want to run, they will. UW will run with them and beat them at their own game.
Do you want to bet on college basketball?
According to KenPom and Bart Torvik’s rating system, the University of Illinois is the offensively analytical favorite, but UConn actually has the top-ranked offense.
The Huskies dismantled San Diego State’s formidable defense and thwarted Brian Dutcher’s game plan.
A performance like that against a tactician like Dutcher is bad news for an Illinois defense that barely ranks among the top 100 in the nation.
University of Illinois vs. University of Illinois Picks
The Illini are one of the most profitable “over” teams in the country, with a 70.3% return. They are averaging 7.8 points per game over their final total.
choose: 154.5 or higher (-110, FanDuel)
