The Illinois Fighting Illini (28-8) travel to face off against the Connecticut Huskies (34-3) on Saturday, March 30th. This game will be played at TD Garden in Boston and televised on TBS. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 6:09 ET.
Illinois Fighting Illini vs Connecticut Huskies
The Illinois Fighting Illini Are Coming Off A Win
Illinois comes into this game with an impressive 28-8 record, including an 18-6 mark in Big Ten play. They have won eight straight games, and their road record this season is 8-5.
As the underdog, the Fighting Illini have gone 4-3 this season, and they have been the underdog seven times. So far, they have gone 6-4 in their last 10 road games.
Illinois has been a solid bet this season, going 21-15-2 against the spread. Their road ATS mark is 9-3-1, and they have gone 7-3 vs. the spread in their last 10 road games. As the underdog, the Fighting Illini are 5-1-1 vs. the spread this year and have a 7-2-1 ATS mark in their last 10 games as the underdog.
This season, the over/under record for Illinois games is 27-11 and today’s line of 155 is similar to the average over/under line in their games (149.7). So far, 19 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. Over their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 with an average scoring total of 149 points.
The Connecticut Huskies Are Coming Off A Win
Connecticut enters this game with a perfect 25-0 record at home, and they have won their last ten games at home. On the season, they have an average scoring margin of +23.1 points per game at home.
Overall, the Huskies have gone 34-3 this season, and they have won their last 11 games. In their last game, they defeated San Diego State by a score of 82-52.
Connecticut has been strong against the spread this season, going 24-13-1. At home, the Huskies are 16-9 vs. the spread. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, UConn is 9-1.
So far this season, the over/under record in Connecticut games is 18-20. Currently, the average scoring total in their games is 146.2 points, which is lower than the average OU line of 144.8. Today’s over/under line of 155 is higher than the average scoring total in their games and this year, 29 of their games have finished with less points than 155.
Illinois Offense Breakdown
The Illinois offense is coming off a game where they scored 72 points against Iowa State. They posted a field goal percentage of 42.1% and connected on 9 threes. Terrence Shannon Jr. is leading the team in scoring at 23 points per contest. Marcus Domask has also been a key contributor with a PPG average of 16 going into the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terrence Shannon Jr. (G) | 23.0 | 4.1 | 2.1 |
| Marcus Domask (F) | 16.0 | 4.9 | 3.7 |
| Coleman Hawkins (F) | 12.4 | 6.2 | 2.7 |
Connecticut Offense Breakdown
Connecticut’s offense had a good outing, putting up 82 points against San Diego State. They achieved a 46.2% field goal percentage and went 12/16 from the free-throw line. Tristen Newton is leading the team in scoring at 15.2 points per contest. Cam Spencer has also been a key contributor with a PPG average of 14.5 going into the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tristen Newton (G) | 15.2 | 7.0 | 6.0 |
| Cam Spencer (G) | 14.5 | 4.5 | 3.6 |
| Alex Karaban (F) | 13.9 | 5.0 | 1.4 |
Illinois Team Defense
Currently, the Fighting Illini’s defense holds the 224th rank in the nation, allowing 73.3 points per game. On average, opposing teams are hitting 6.2 threes per game vs. Connecticut. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 34.1%.
Connecticut Team Defense
Currently, the Huskies’ defense holds the 16th rank in the nation, allowing 64.3 points per game. On average, opposing teams are hitting 5.9 threes per game vs. Illinois. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 30.8%.
Fighting Illini vs Huskies Trends
- In their last ten games away from home, the Fighting Illini have a straight up record of 6-4 while going 7-3 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 83 points per game in these contests.
- Through their last ten home games, Connecticut has an ATS record of just 6-3-1. However, their overall record was 8-2 while averaging 77 points per game.
- Through their last three games as the underdog, the Fighting Illini have an ATS record of 2-1 and a straight up mark of 2-1.
- Through their last three games as the favorite, the Huskies have an ATS record of 3-0 and a straight up mark of 3-0.
Fighting Illini vs Huskies Prediction
When looking to get a point-spread pick down in this Huskies vs. Huskies game, our recommendation is to take the Huskies at -8.5. Despite our model showing the Huskies winning 75-69, we like Fighting Illini as our point-spread pick.
As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 155, and our model projects the Fighting Illini and Huskies to reach a combined total of 144 points. Our bet is on taking the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:March 30, 2024 Connecticut Huskies, Illinois Fighting Illini