No time to rest.
Illinois is back at it Saturday night against VCU in the Round of 32, and they’re opening as favorites.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook on Thursday night, the line opened as the Illini as a 10.5-point favorite against the Rams. The total is set at 151.5.
Illinois is coming off a monster win over Penn, 105-70, while VCU’s 19-point comeback lifted the No. 11 seed in the South Region to an overtime win over North Carolina.
Illinois covered against the Quakers. They opened as 25-point favorites
over the Ivy League champs on Selection Sunday.
FanDuel has the Illini with the 12th-best odds to win the national championship at +1700. Duke is still the team to beat at +500, but the Blue Devils mightily struggled with No. 16 seed Siena on Thursday afternoon when they trailed by 11 points at halftime.
VCU is a winning program in recent years, and this year is no different. The Rams are 28-7 (15-3 in A-10 play) in Phil Martelli Jr.’s first season.
Illinois is seeking its second Sweet 16 appearance in three years. Brad Underwood’s team has already secured its third straight season with a tourney win.
It won’t be easy Saturday night.
Tipoff with the Final Four crew of Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery and Grant Hill is at 6:50 p.m. CT on CBS from Greenville.
