Houston vs Illinois College Basketball Prediction, Odds, Picks, Best Bets for NCAA Tournament Sweet 16

A place in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament will go to either the No. 2 Houston Cougars (30-6) or the No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini (26-8) when the teams meet in the Sweet 16. This contest tips off at 10:05 p.m. ET on Thursday.

Before you place your bet on this game at FanDuel Sportsbook, here are the NCAA basketball odds and spreads you need to know.

Houston vs. Illinois Game Info and Odds

• Game day: Thursday, March 26, 2026
• Game time: 10:05 p.m. ET
• TV channel: TBS
• Location: Houston, Texas
• Arena: Toyota Center

Houston vs. Illinois Picks and Prediction

All college basketball win probability predictions and picks are according to numberFire.
Prediction: Houston win (60.4%)

Before you bet on Thursday's Houston-Illinois spread (Houston -2.5) or total (139.5 points), take a look at the betting insights and trends below.

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Houston vs. Illinois: ATS Betting Stats and Trends

• Houston has compiled an 18-18-0 record against the spread this season.
• Illinois has won 20 games against the spread this year, while failing to cover 14 times.
• Houston (17-15) covers a lower percentage of games when it is favored by 2.5 points or more this season (53.1%) than Illinois (2-1) does as a 2.5+-point underdog (66.7%).
• The Cougars own a better record against the spread at home (9-7-0) than they do in road games (4-5-0).
• The Fighting Illini's winning percentage against the spread at home is .588 (10-7-0). Away, it is .600 (6-4-0).

Houston vs. Illinois: Moneyline Betting Stats

• Houston has been chosen as the moneyline favorite in 30 games this year and has walked away with the win 26 times (86.7%) in those games.
• The Cougars have a mark of 24-2 in contests where bookmakers favor them by -166 or better on the moneyline.
• Illinois has won two of the five games it was listed as the moneyline underdog this season (40%).
• The Fighting Illini have played as a moneyline underdog of +136 or longer in only two games this season, which they split 1-1.
• Oddsmakers have implied with the moneyline set for this matchup that Houston has a 62.4% chance of pulling out a win.

Houston vs. Illinois Head-to-Head Comparison

• Houston has a +548 scoring differential, topping opponents by 15.2 points per game. It is putting up 77.5 points per game to rank 135th in college basketball and is allowing 62.3 per contest to rank second in college basketball.
• Kingston Flemings is 206th in the country with a team-leading 16.2 points per game.
• Illinois puts up 84.7 points per game (17th in college basketball) while giving up 69.4 per contest (61st in college basketball). It has a +522 scoring differential and outscores opponents by 15.3 points per game.
• Illinois' leading scorer, Keaton Wagler, ranks 102nd in the nation, scoring 17.8 points per game.
• The Cougars win the rebound battle by 4.2 boards on average. They record 33.3 rebounds per game, which ranks 104th in college basketball, while their opponents grab 29.1 per contest.
• Chris Cenac Jr.'s 7.8 rebounds per game lead the Cougars and rank 92nd in college basketball play.
• The 37.9 rebounds per game the Fighting Illini accumulate rank sixth in college basketball, 10 more than the 27.9 their opponents record.
• David Mirkovic paces the Fighting Illini with 7.9 rebounds per game (84th in college basketball).
• Houston scores 103.6 points per 100 possessions (47th in college basketball), while allowing 83.2 points per 100 possessions (third in college basketball).
• The Fighting Illini average 109.6 points per 100 possessions on offense (fourth in college basketball), and concede 89.7 points per 100 possessions (48th in college basketball).

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