Illinois Fighting Illini Favored Over Iowa Hawkeyes in March Madness Elite Eight Matchup

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The #3 seed Illinois Fighting Illini are 6.5-point favorites over the surprising #9 seed Iowa Hawkeyes in their upcoming March Madness Elite Eight matchup on Saturday in Houston. Illinois has impressed in the tournament so far, while Iowa has been one of the biggest Cinderella stories, reaching the Elite Eight as a lower seed.

Why it matters

This highly anticipated matchup between two Big Ten rivals will determine who advances to the Final Four. Illinois is looking to reach the national semifinals for the second time in three years, while Iowa is trying to pull off another upset as a lower seed and continue its Cinderella run.

The details

Illinois advanced to the Elite Eight by defeating #2 seed Houston 65-55 on Friday. The Fighting Illini have now won three straight NCAA Tournament games. Iowa, a #9 seed, reached this stage by pulling off dramatic victories over defending champion Florida and Big Ten foe Nebraska. The Hawkeyes are just the third #9 seed to make the Elite Eight since 1985.

• The game will be played on Saturday, March 28, 2026 at 6:09 PM ET.
• Illinois defeated Houston on Friday to advance to the Elite Eight.

What’s next

The winner of the Illinois-Iowa matchup will advance to the 2026 NCAA Tournament Final Four.