ESPN's Mark Zinno makes bold bets for Saturday's NCAA semifinals, starting with the Illinois vs UConn rematch. Zinno backs Illinois moneyline (-130) despite UConn's recent dominance, arguing the Illini's superior efficiency and size advantage give them the edge in a low-scoring battle. He notes UConn's only path to victory is a defensive stall, which Illinois has proven capable of disrupting.

The second pick is a Michigan-Arizona 1st half UNDER 73.5, citing both teams' elite defenses and historical scoring trends in similar matchups. Zinno warns the under is a tough sell but highlights the lack of comparable defensive matchups and the venue's neutral setting. Finally, he locks in the Eliminator game pick: Illinois.

Zinno reasons that picking either Michigan or Arizona here risks eliminating them from the next round, making Illinois the safer choice to advance one last time.