Illini Favored Over Hawkeyes in Iowa vs Illinois Odds for Elite Eight
By Sascha Paruk in College Basketball
Published:
The #9 Iowa Hawkeyes (24-12 SU, 21-15 ATS) came back from a double-digit first-half deficit to earn their second straight upset and advance to the 2026 Elite Eight, where they’ll face the #3 Illinois Fighting Illini (27-8 SU, 21-14 ATS) in the South Region final.
The opening Illinois vs Iowa odds list the Illini, who have arguably been the most-impressive team in the tournament so far, as heavy favorites.
Opening Illinois vs Iowa Odds
The opening Illinois vs Iowa moneyline lists the Illini as -210 chalk. The Hawkeyes come back as +172 underdogs to reach the Final Four.
The spread favors Illinois by 5.5 while the total is 137.5 with the over slightly favored at -115.
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The Illini will head into the Elite Eight as the fourth-favorite in the March Madness championship odds at +750.
Iowa is the biggest longshot on the board at +4500 now that #11 Texas has been bounced.
ILL vs IOWA Team Stats
Iowa’s path to the Elite Eight includes wins over #8 Clemson (67-61), #1 Florida (73-72), and #4 Nebraska (77-71).
Illinois earned its berth in the South Region final with lopsided victories over #14 Penn (105-70), #11 VCU (76-55), and #2 Houston (65-55).
Illinois and Iowa will meet at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, on Saturday, March 28th, at 5:09 pm CT/6:09 pm ET.
Bookmark SBD’s college basketball odds page to see how the Iowa/Illinois odds move.
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- DRAFTKINGS SPORTSBOOK
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- FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK
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USE CODE SBDDYW & DOUBLE YOUR WINNINGS ON YOUR FIRST 10 WAGERS!
- FANATICS SPORTSBOOK
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DRAFTKINGS T&Cs: GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MY-RESET, (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), 1-800-981-0023 (PR). 21+ and present in most states. (18+ DC/KY/NH/PR/WY). Void in NH/OR/ONT/PR. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino (KS). Pass-thru of per wager tax may apply in IL. 1 per new DraftKings customer. $5+ first-time bet req. Max. $100 issued as non-withdrawable Bonus Bets that expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Terms: sportsbook.draftkings.com/promos. Ends 5/31/26 at 11:59 PM ET.
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Managing Editor
Sascha has been working in the sports-betting industry since 2014, and quickly paired his strong writing skills with a burgeoning knowledge of probability and statistics. He holds an undergraduate degree in linguistics and a Juris Doctor from the University of British Columbia.
