UConn vs. Illinois Prediction, Odds and Best College Basketball Prop Bets for Friday, Nov. 28

Just in case the Thanksgiving Day action wasn't enough to fill your appetite, the No. 5 UConn Huskies and No. 13 Illinois Fighting Illinois are set to tip off at 12:30 PM ET in some Black Friday college basketball action.
Both teams have just one loss on the season, with Illinois losing to Alabama and UConn losing to Arizona, each by a deficit of just four points.
Let's dive into the odds and my best bet for this intriguing out-of-conference showdown.
UConn vs. Huskies Odds, Spread, and Total
Spread
- UConn -2.5 (-105)
- Illinois +2.5 (-115)
Moneyline
- UConn -144
- Illinois +120
Total
- OVER 154.5 (-115)
- UNDER 154.5 (-105)
UConn vs. Illinois How to Watch
- Date: Friday, Nov. 27
- Game Time: 12:30 pm ET
- Venue: Madison Square Garden
- How to Watch (TV): FOX
- UConn Record: 5-1
- Illinois Record: 6-1
UConn vs. Illinois Betting Trends
- UConn is 1-5 ATS in its last six games
- The UNDER is 10-3 in UConn's last 13 games
- The UNDER is 7-0 in UConn's last seven games vs. Big Ten opponents
- The UNDER is 5-0 in Illinois' last five games
- The UNDER is 12-2 in Illinois' last 14 games vs. Big East opponents
- Illinois is 1-4 ATS in its last five games as an underdog
UConn vs. Illinois Key Player to Watch
Andrej Stojakovic, G - Illinois
The California transfer has gotten off to a strong start for the Fighting Illini, averaging 18.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 58.8% from the field. His best games have come against Illinois' toughest opponents, scoring 23 points against Texas Tech and 26 against Alabama. He'll have to put up another solid performance if Illinois wants to pull off the upset.
UConn vs. Illinois Prediction and Pick
UConn and Illinois are right next to each other on the KenPom rankings, coming in at 13th and 14th in net rating. Their effective field goal percentage numbers are also right next to each other at 30th and 32nd.
Where Illinois has the advantage is with its ability to put together effective possessions through limiting turnovers and taking advantage of offensive rebounds. It ranks sixth in effective possession ratio, while UConn ranks 70th in that metric.
That's enough for me to back Illinois getting points in what should be a close game.
Pick: Illinois +2.5 (-115) via FanDuel
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