The2026 NCAA tournamentcontinues this weekend with four more exciting matchups, including No. 3 Illinois taking on surprise Elite Eight team No. 9 Iowa.
The first rounds of March Madness saw plenty of favorites win —all 16 favored teams won on Friday for the first time since 1992— but also its share of upsets (see: Iowa beating No. 1 Florida).
What's in store for the Elite Eight?
Below you'll find the favorite wagers for all the games from our college basketball handicappers — Corbie Craig, Matt Jacob, Matt Russell and Frank Schwab.
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All odds courtesy ofBetMGM.
Best bets for Elite Eight games
No. 9 Iowa vs. No. 3 Illinois (-7.5, 137.5)
Jacob:All credit to Iowa for its first Elite Eight appearance in nearly four decades — one thatnobodysaw coming after the Hawkeyes entered the NCAA tournament in a 3-7 slump (both on the court and at the wagering window).
Iowa has gutted out victories over No. 8 seed Clemson, No. 1 seed (and defending national champ) Florida and No. 4 seed Nebraska, coming from behind in the latter two contests. As impressive as this run has been, though, I think it ends Saturday — and ends in blowout fashion against another Big Ten foe, one that has barely broken a sweat in romping through the tournament.
Illinois annihilated No. 14 seed Penn (105-70), No. 11 VCU (76-55) and No. 2 Houston (65-55). The Illini's defense has led the charge, limiting its three opponents to 38.1% shooting overall and 26.6% shooting from 3-point range. Illinois also is plus-51 on the glass, finishing with a double-digit rebounding edge in every game.
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Back in mid-January, the Hawkeyes hosted Illinois and put up a solid fight before falling 75-69 as a 1.5-point underdog. The final score wasn't indicative of the dominance, though, as the Illini outshot Iowa from the field (49% to 41%) and the 3-point line (36% to 31%), and won the battle on the glass (34-28).
It was Illinois' fifth consecutive win and cover over the Hawkeyes since the 2023-24 season (the Illini are 9-1 SU and ATS against Iowa in the last 10 meetings). Make it 10-1 SU and ATS after they end Iowa's Cinderella run with a 15-point victory.
Bet: Illinois -7.5
No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 1 Arizona (-6.5, 153.5)
Russell:It's hard to imagine Arizona looking better on Thursday night, as the Wildcats might have been able to score 150 points on Arkansas if they had needed to, but it's not like scoring has always been that easy.
The Wildcats' offense is ranked fourth byKenPom, but they usually exist in the 70s and 80s, like in the second round against Utah State where they scored 78, thanks to the help of 27 made free throws.
The Razorbacks were rated behind defensive luminaries BYU and Portland State, so we shouldn't be stunned that they rolled out the red carpet to the rim for Arizona. Shooting 64%, including 5-for-8 from beyond the arc, won't be happening against Purdue.
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The Boilermakers' season-long metrics defensively aren't great (36th via KenPom), but they'll admit that there was a significant dip midseason that's been somewhat addressed come the postseason. Of course, there was nothing anyone could do about Tramon Mark's white-hot shooting in the Sweet 16. The Longhorns' guard went 11-of-15 with five 3s, but even a still-warm shooting night of 7-of-15 would have translated into the type of Purdue win that the betting market expected when it moved the line from -6.5 to -8 before tip against Texas.
Fundamentally, this line is way too high. By comparison, at these power ratings, Arizona would be a 14-point favorite against Texas. Had this game been a Sweet 16 matchup, a fair line would have been -3, but Arizona — always a team the market is excited to back — is the one perceived to have looked better in San Jose. That reaction has sent this up to -6.5, so we have to assume Purdue's veteran group will defend more passionately for Matt Painter than the Hogs did for John Calipari, while the Boilermakers' No. 1-ranked offensive efficiency should help them keep up with the Cats on the scoreboard (which should see both teams in the 70s).
Bet: Purdue +6.5