Illinois vs. UConn odds, prediction: 2026 NCAA Tournament picks from proven expert on 44-28 run

The third-seeded Illinois Fighting Illini will battle the second-seeded UConn Huskies for the right to play in the NCAA Tournament national championship game when they clash on Saturday. Illinois is coming off a 71-59 win over Iowa in the Elite Eight on Saturday, while Connecticut defeated Duke 73-72 on a last-second shot on Sunday to advance. The Fighting Illini (28-8), who are in the Final Four for the sixth time and for the first time since 2005, are looking to win their first-ever national championship. The Huskies (33-5), who are in the Final Four for the eighth time, are looking to win their seventh national title, all coming since 1999.

The game from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis tips off at 6:09 p.m. ET. UConn leads the all-time series 4-1, including a 74-61 win on Nov. 28. Illinois is a 1.5-point favorite in the latest Illinois vs. UConn odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 139.5.

Before making any Illinois vs. UConn picks, check out what SportsLine college basketball expert Bob Konarski has to say.

Konarski specializes in college basketball, displaying in-depth knowledge of hundreds of Division I teams. He is a regular presence in the SportsLine Discord, co-hosts a weekly Twitter Spaces with fellow CBB expert Tom Casale and can be seen on the "Early Edge" breaking down his college hoops plays. He enters the NCAA Tournament Elite 8 on a 44-28 run on college basketball picks, returning $1,308 for $100 players. Anyone following could have seen huge returns.

Now Konarski has broken down Illinois vs. UConn from every angle and locked in his picks. He's leaning Over on the total, and he's also found a critical X-factor that has him jumping on one side the spread! 

So who covers in Illinois vs. UConn, and what critical X-factor do you need to know about? Join SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the expert on a sizzling 44-28 run on CBB picks!