Illini Favored in Opening UConn vs Illinois Odds (Final Four)
By Sascha Paruk in College Basketball
Published:
- East #2 UConn will meet South #3 Illinois in the Final Four
- The Illini have opened as favorites after a stunning Elite Eight win
- See the opening UConn vs Illinois odds for the 2026 Final Four
An absurd second-half comeback by the #2 UConn Huskies against Duke on Sunday night has set up a Final Four matchup against the South Region champion #3 Illinois Fighting Illini (28-8 SU, 22-14 ATS).
The 2026 Final Four will take place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis next Saturday, April 4th. The early game will tip-off at 6:00 pm ET with the second semifinal at 8:30 pm ET.
The Illini are 2.5-point favorites in the opening UConn vs Illinois odds.
Illinois vs UConn Odds (Final Four)
FanDuel’s opening line also lists Illinois as a -134 moneyline favorite with UConn +112 to reach the national championship. The game total has opened at 139.5 with -110 odds both ways.
At prediction site Kalshi, Illinois is trading at 55¢ to reach the national title game, which is de facto the same market as the Final Four moneyline. A 55¢ price is equal to a -125 moneyline. Illinois is trading at 47¢, equal to +113 odds.
Lookahead line from FanDuel on March 29th. See the opening Arizona vs Michigan odds for the other Final Four game.
In the latest March Madness championship odds, the Illini are trading at 19¢ at Kalshi (equal to +426 odds). UConn is trading at just 12¢ (equal to +733 odds).
The other two national semifinalists – West #1 Arizona and Midwest #1 Michigan – are the top-two betting favorites at 36¢ (+178) and 34¢ (+194), respectively.
UConn vs ILL H2H Stats
The Illini reached the Final Four – their first since 2005 – with routs of #14 Penn (105-70 as 25.5-point favorites), #11 VCU (76-55 as 11.5-point favorites), #2 Houston (65-55 as 2.5-point underdogs), and #9 Iowa (71-59 as 6.5-point favorites).
They are 4-0 ATS in the tournament and 1-3 O/U.
UConn found itself trailing by 15 at halftime (44-29) on Sunday against Duke in the Elite Eight before mounting a comeback that defies words. Braylon Mullins hit the winning three with 0.4 seconds on the clock to give UConn it’s only lead of the second half.
UConn’s first three wins of the tournament were considerably more convincing: 82-71 over #15 Furman, 73-57 over #7 UCLA, and 67-63 over #3 Michigan State.
UConn is 3-1 ATS and 2-2 O/U in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Bookmark SBD’s college basketball odds to see how the Final Four lines move over the course of the week.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOKUSE CODE SBD1500 TO GET UP TO $1,500 PAID BACK
BET365 SPORTSBOOKBET $10 & GET $365 IN BONUS BETS WITH CODE DIME365
THESCORE BET SPORTSBOOKUSE CODE DIME TO GET 100% BET RESET UP TO $1,000
DRAFTKINGS SPORTSBOOKBET $5 & GET $200 IN BONUS BETS INSTANTLY!
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOKGET $300 IN BONUS BETS EVERY DAY FOR 10 DAYS
CAESARS SPORTSBOOKUSE CODE SBDDYW & DOUBLE YOUR WINNINGS ON YOUR FIRST 10 WAGERS!
FANATICS SPORTSBOOKGET 100% BET MATCH UP TO $100 FOR 10 DAYS
DRAFTKINGS T&Cs: GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-522-4700, (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). 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 customer. $5+ first-time bet req. Max. $200 issued as non-withdrawable Bonus Bets that expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Terms: sportsbook.draftkings.com/promos. Ends 4/6/26 at 11:59 PM ET. Sponsored by DK.
BET365 SPORTSBOOK T&Cs: GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL OR TEXT 1-800-GAMBLER (AZ/CO/IL/IN/KS/KY/LA/MD/MO/NC/NJ/OH/PA/TN/VA) or 1-800-BETS OFF (IA). 21+ only (18+ KY). Must be present in AZ/CO/IA/IL/IN/KS/KY/LA (select parishes)/MD/MO/NC/NJ/OH/PA/TN/VA
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK T&Cs: Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (Available in the US), Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), Call 1-800-327-5050 (MA), 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-981-0023 (PR). 21+ only. Please Gamble Responsibly. See BetMGM.com for Terms. First Bet Offer for new customers only (if applicable). Subject to eligibility requirements. Bonus bets are non-withdrawable. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. This promotional offer is not available in DC, MS, NY, NV, ON, or PR.
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.
