NCAAB Pick: UConn -8 (-108) at Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review)
Half of the Elite Eight has been decided, and two of those teams will punch a ticket to the Final Four on Saturday when defending champion UConn takes on Illinois for the title in the East Region, while pigskin rivals Alabama and Clemson battle for supremacy in the West.
Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Connecticut Huskies
Saturday, March 30, 2024 – 06:09 PM ET at TD Garden
Rumors circulating around TD Garden late Thursday night alleged Connecticut head coach Dan Hurley was seen practicing this “I’m going to Disneyland” line for when his Huskies repeat as NCAA Champions in about 10 days.
Like I said, it’s just a rumor, though given how UConn continued its run through this year’s March Madness a few hours earlier, it’s certainly looking like the Huskies will become the first back-to-back champs since Florida in 2006-07.
1st Meeting Since ‘94
Brad Underwood and the Illinois Fighting Illini are the next team that will try and end Connecticut’s attempt at consecutive titles. Top sportsbooks have the Huskies favored by 8-8½, and it’s easy to believe that spread will inch a bit higher.
There is very little history between the two schools, and it has been nearly 30 years since the Huskies and Fighting Illini last got together. Connecticut hosted Illinois in December 1994, and treated fans at the Hartford Civic Center to a 71-56 triumph.
That victory gave the Huskies a 2-1 lead in the series, with the Fighting Illini’s only win coming in the very first matchup back in 1938.
Shannon Once Again Leads Illini
After reaching the Sweet 16 with wins over Morehead State and Duquesne, Underwood’s gang enjoyed a wire-to-wire win Thursday night over No. 2 seed and Big 12 champ Iowa State. The Cyclones closed as 1-point favorites on the NCAAB odds in the 72-69 final.
Illinois scored the game’s first 8 points and ultimately built a 13-point lead in the first half behind Terrence Shannon Jr.’s hot hand. The Chicago native scored 20 of his game-high 29 in the first half, but sat long stretches of the second half after picking up his fourth foul.
Shannon has scored at least 26 points in each of the Fighting Illini’s last six games, three of those efforts in the Big Ten Tournament.
Huskies Demolish SDSU by 30
A rematch of last year’s NCAA Championship between UConn and San Diego State was a good game for about five minutes on Thursday, but it was all Huskies after that in an 82-52 rout that easily covered the double-digit spread.
The victory marked Connecticut’s ninth consecutive NCAA Tournament win by at least 10 points, and the second time at this year’s dance for the Huskies to win by 30+.
That’s a streak I’m not about to mess with, and will jump on UConn before the spread in this game goes up.
NCAAB Pick: UConn -8 (-108) at Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review)
Clemson Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
Saturday, March 30, 2024 – 08:49 PM ET at Crypto.com Arena
After growing a bit bored with seeing Clemson and Alabama frequently square off to decide national championships on the football field, seeing the Tigers and Crimson Tide collide for a trip to the Final Four is going to be interesting, to say the least.
Both Sides Off Upset Wins
Both sides pulled off upsets over the top 2 seeds of the West on Thursday to reach the Elite Eight, and it will be Alabama playing the role of chalk this time with Bookmaker favoring the Crimson Tide by 3. Scoreboard bettors are looking at 164 for a total.
Oddsmakers were giving Clemson 7 on Thursday against No. 2 seed Arizona, and the Tigers led most of the way for a 77-72 decision. Clemson was beaten in the paint, on the fast break and on the glass, but held the Wildcats to just 5-28 (18%) shooting from beyond the arc.
Alabama was getting 4½ against North Carolina, and overcame an 8-point halftime deficit to drop the first No. 1 seed in the tournament in an 89-87 thriller. Grant Nelson had a huge second half for the Crimson Tide to lead all scorers with 24, adding 12 boards and 5 blocks.
Rematch From November
Clemson was getting 8½ last November when the two met in the ACC/SEC Challenge, and the Tigers pulled off the 85-77 upset to leave Tuscaloosa with a dubya. The win was part of a 9-0 start to the campaign for Clemson.
That win left Clemson with an 8-4 lead in the all-time series, and marked the Tigers’ third consecutive over the Crimson Tide.
Clemson played a solid inside-outside game to beat Alabama in November, outscoring the Crimson Tide 32-22 in the paint while also shooting 11-21 (53%) from 3-point range. I’ll be looking for offense and more offense from both sides this time with the ‘over’ for my college basketball pick.
NCAAB Pick: Over 164 (-110) at Bookmaker (visit our Bookmaker Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
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