Illinois and Kentucky will tangle in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 23, 2025. Both teams won and covered the spread in the first round of the tournament on Friday and will look to deliver at this stage of the tourney as well. The winner of Illinois vs Kentucky will move onto the Sweet 16, while the loser will see their season come to an end.
Ahead of this Big Ten vs SEC matchup, Kentucky is a one-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook. Meanwhile, the total for this game has been set at 171.5. For a full preview of this game, including our top pick in the betting markets, continue reading below.
Illinois Fighting For Sweet 16 Spot
The Illinois Fighting Illini dominated the Xavier Musketeers in the second half of their matchup on Friday, moving Illinois onto round two. The offense of the Illini was stellar in that game, breaking 80 points against a Xavier team that held Texas in check in the First Four. Illinois’ offense will need to be good again in this game to offset Kentucky’s explosive attack.
Cutting back on turnovers will be important for Illinois to focus on heading into this game against Kentucky. The Illini turned the ball over 14 times against Xavier, which they made up for by shooting nearly 50% from the field as a team. With no guarantee they will be that efficient with their shooting again, Illinois has to take better care of the basketball here.
Kentucky At a Location Disadvantage?
Kentucky rolled in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, beating Troy 76-57 on Friday night. The Wildcats did not fall into the same trap as last year, when they lost in the first round of the tournament to Oakland. Otega Oweh led Kentucky with 20 points in round one and the Wildcats will hope that he can deliver again in this game to get to the Sweet 16 for the first time under head coach Mark Pope.
Something that will be interesting to monitor in this contest is what the crowd looks like at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. Kentucky is the bigger brand of the two teams in this matchup. But they are playing in the Midwest, closer to where their opponent is based than to the state of Kentucky. While Big Blue Nation always travels well, the Wildcats could be in a hostile environment here.
Illinois vs Kentucky Prediction
Illinois ML (-102) over Kentucky
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- Illinois is more experienced than Kentucky and that should help them advance in this game.
- We aren’t ready to trust Kentucky in a spot this big just yet under Pope.
