If you ever find yourself having to explain the essence of what NCAAB best bets and March Madness are all about to somebody who’s never watched college basketball, go ahead and show them the final two minutes of last night’s UConn Huskies 73-72 win over the Duke Blue Devils.

Heck, I’m no UConn fan, but you can bet your sweet toot that I jumped off my seat and cheered as if I had graduated from the school after Braylon Mullins’ deep three with less than a second left to send the Huskies into the Final Four.

That right there is what makes all of the madness worth it.

Now, as the Huskies get ready for their first Final Four appearance since 2024, when they would go on to win the National Championship, on the other side of the court the Illinois Fighting Illini, still hot from their 71-59 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes last Saturday will be waiting.

With the game set for Saturday April 4th at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, I’m getting an early start on all the action, previewing the matchup and giving an early pick and prediction for this Huskies vs Fighting Illini game, so let’s get to it.

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UConn vs Illinois Early Final Four Preview & Predictions

Can UConn Run Back Their 2023 & 2024 Title Runs In 2026?

Remember back in 2023 and 2024 when the Huskies ran college basketball?

It can easily be argued that over that two-year span there was absolutely no team in the land who could stand up to the Huskies and give them an inch of a fight, hence why they would go on to win the National Championship in both years.

This season, as they stand in front of the opportunity to play for the Natty once again, while their past dominance narrative has changed substantially, there’s still no denying UConn has earned its way into the Final Four, especially following their overly dramatic Elite Eight win vs Duke 73-72 last night.

Having gone through some very strong competition in the tournament to get to the Final Four, starting out with a 82-71 win over Furman, followed by a strong statement 73-57 victory against UCLA, and a 67-63 Sweet Sixteen dub against Tom Izzo’s Michigan State, all leading up to last night’s final second epic “W”, it seems as if Dan Hurley’s team started to channel their previous title-winning aura at the right time.

But will that be enough to topple Illinois offense?

After Illinois’ 71-59 win over Iowa one thing was made glaringly certain. Anybody who wants to beat the Fighting Illini needs to be on their absolute best talent, especially when it comes to rebounding and playing off the glass and has to get ready to get smothered by a defense that excels at coverage all while avoiding fouls.

Illinois has shown not just throughout the regular season, but even more so during March Madness that while its offense can bring it on a daily (ranked #1 in the country), it’s on defense where they can do the most damage, which is even more surprising considering theirs is the only defense left in the tournament not ranked in the top 10 nationally.

Still, when it comes down to the nitty-gritty, having seasoned-title winning veterans on the team like Alex Karaban, Tarris Reed, Solo Ball and Silas Demary, and a potential NBA draft first round pick in last night’s hero Braylon Mullins, and the best coach left in the tournament, Dan Hurley, while UConn doesn’t have the best odds to win March Madness (currently last at +600), championship pedigree can go very far, especially in scenarios like this one.

Uconn vs Illinois Final Four Game Predictions & Picks

It’s in games like these where that “offenses win games, defenses win championships” sports motto truly comes to life.

Yes, Illinois’ offense is good, very good, the best in the country right now, but what if the defense doesn’t come through as it’s been doing so all along?

What if Illinois’ relatively easy road to the Final Four (upsetting Houston is the only true flex for this team to be honest), ends up catching up to them when facing a team as strong and coached as well as UConn?

If you ask me, I find it a bit insulting that the Huskies come in as college basketball betting odds underdogs here, especially after knocking out UCLA, Michigan State and Duke.

So you know what, even with the game still a few days away, I’m locking my Final Four pick right now, going with UConn to upset Illinois and move on to the National Title game at +115.