Best Illinois vs. Kentucky Prop Bets, Picks: 6-Seed Illini Favored

College hoops fans are in for an outstanding Sunday afternoon of action.

After national title favorites Florida (vs. 8-seed UConn — 12:10 p.m. on CBS) and Duke (vs. 9-seed Baylor — 2:40 p.m. on CBS) get the party started early, 6-seed Illinois meets 3-seed Kentucky in the Midwest Region at 5:15 p.m.

The Fighting Illini are favored by 1.5 to 2 points, depending on the sportsbook.

Both teams controlled their first-round matchups, as Illinois ousted 11-seed Xavier 86-73 and Kentucky pulled away from 14-seed Troy late for a 76-57 win.

How to Watch Illinois vs. Kentucky

• Tipoff: 5:15 p.m. ET
• Channel: CBS

Illinois vs. Kentucky Odds: Spread, ML, Total

Best Player Prop Bets for Illinois vs. Kentucky

Koby Brea 3+ made 3-pointers (-110 at DraftKings) — 1 unit

No player for Kentucky does a better job getting open for good looks from 3-point land than Brea. The 6-foot-6 former Dayton star averaged nearly 6 3PA per game this year, and his volume has only increased in late February and March.

Brea, a 44 percent 3-point shooter on the year, has taken seven 3-pointers four times in the last six games. Going a bit further back on the calendar for a larger recent sample size, he’s drained 23 of his 55 3PA (41.8 percent) in UK’s last eight games.

With a high floor thanks to his consistent volume, this is a solid play in a matchup that doesn’t feature a ton of slam-dunks on the prop front.

K. Jakucionis o27.5 points+rebs+assists (-111 at FD) — 0.5 units

Star Illinois freshman Kasparas Jakucionis had a strong case for Big Ten Freshman of the Year. He averaged 15 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.8 assists for the Illini, but Maryland big man Derik Queen ended up taking home the honor.

Jakucionis is tempting to clear this prop today after a 16-point, 10-assist, 9-rebound effort vs. Xavier in the first round.

With at least 10 field goal attempts in four of his last five games, the rookie’s usage should give him a good chance to get to 15 or more points.

And given that this will likely be a high-scoring, high-possession contest (both these teams are top-15 in adjusted offensive efficiency, and they’re both top-25 in adjusted tempo as well), rebound and assist opportunities should abound as well.

It’s admittedly a bit bold to expect Jakucionis to replicate his performances the last two games (15 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists vs. Maryland in the conference tourney, and the aforementioned monster night against Xavier on Friday).

That being said, Jakucionis recording 29 and 35 total PRA in his last two games bodes well for his chances of getting at least 28 total PRA tonight.

Illinois vs. Kentucky Prediction, Best Bets

The safest guess here is that neither team will struggle to score. This contest’s total is high at 169 or 169.5 (depending on the sportsbook). But given that Kentucky scored at least 90 points 12 times this year, while Illinois reached that milestone 11 times, a total in the 170’s seems well within reach.

Illinois is averaging 86.5 ppg over its last six games. Kentucky scored a total of just 146 points in its last two games, but put up at least 85 points in each of the three games prior.

As for who will emerge to take on Tennessee in the Sweet 16, I’m torn. The Illini have a high ceiling, but I’m not interested in investing in a team that has lost four games by double-digits in the last month (though that stretch also includes wins over Michigan and Purdue).

With that in mind, give me Kentucky to notch its fifth win in its last six games and set up an SEC showdown with Tennessee, which Mark Pope’s team has already beaten twice this season.

Illinois vs. Kentucky Best Bets

• Over 169 (-110 at bet365) — 1 unit
• Alt Total Over 175.5 (+158 at FanDuel) — 0.5 units
• Kentucky moneyline (+115 at bet365) — 1 unit

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