Illinois vs Iowa College Basketball Prediction, Odds, Picks, Best Bets for NCAA Tournament Elite Eight

An Elite Eight matchup features the No. 3 seed Illinois Fighting Illini (27-8, 15-5 Big Ten) playing against the No. 9 seed Iowa Hawkeyes (24-12, 10-10 Big Ten) on Saturday at Toyota Center. This NCAA Tournament contest begins at 6:09 p.m. ET.

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

Illinois vs. Iowa Game Info and Odds

• Game day: Saturday, March 28, 2026
• Game time: 6:09 p.m. ET
• TV channel: TBS
• Location: Houston, Texas
• Arena: Toyota Center

Illinois vs. Iowa Picks and Prediction

All college basketball win probability predictions and picks are according to numberFire.
Prediction: Illinois win (60.9%)

Illinois is a 6.5-point favorite against Iowa on Saturday and the total has been set at 138.5 points. Here's a few betting trends and insights if you plan to place a wager on the matchup.

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Illinois vs. Iowa: ATS Betting Stats and Trends

• Illinois has covered 21 times in 35 games with a spread this season.
• Iowa has compiled a 21-15-0 ATS record so far this year.
• As a 6.5-point underdog or more in 2025-26, Iowa is 4-1 against the spread compared to the 14-10 ATS record Illinois racks up as a 6.5-point favorite.
• The Fighting Illini have done a better job covering the spread on the road (6-4-0) than they have at home (10-7-0).
• The Hawkeyes' winning percentage against the spread at home is .588 (10-7-0). Away, it is .455 (5-6-0).
• Illinois is 11-10-0 against the spread in conference games this year.
• Iowa's Big Ten record against the spread is 10-13-0.

Illinois vs. Iowa: Moneyline Betting Stats

• Illinois has come away with 19 wins in the 24 contests it has been listed as the moneyline favorite in this season.
• The Fighting Illini have a win-loss record of 16-3 when favored by -319 or better by sportsbooks this year.
• Iowa has been the underdog on the moneyline 12 total times this season. Iowa has gone 3-9 in those games.
• When they have played as a moneyline underdog with odds of +255 or longer, the Hawkeyes have a record of 1-3 (25%).
• Oddsmakers have implied with the moneyline set for this matchup that Illinois has a 76.1% chance of pulling out a win.

Illinois vs. Iowa Head-to-Head Comparison

• Illinois is outscoring opponents by 15.2 points per game with a +532 scoring differential overall. It puts up 84.2 points per game (21st in college basketball) and allows 69 per contest (56th in college basketball).
• Keaton Wagler's team-leading 17.7 points per game ranks 110th in the country.
• Iowa's +318 scoring differential (outscoring opponents by 8.9 points per game) is a result of putting up 75 points per game (200th in college basketball) while giving up 66.1 per outing (16th in college basketball).
• Bennett Stirtz is ranked 39th in the nation with a team-high 19.7 points per game.
• The Fighting Illini grab 37.8 rebounds per game (sixth in college basketball) while allowing 27.8 per outing to their opponents. They outrebound opponents by 10.0 boards per game.
• David Mirkovic is 81st in college basketball action with eight rebounds per game to lead the Fighting Illini.
• The Hawkeyes rank 355th in the nation at 26.9 rebounds per game. That's similar to the 26.1 their opponents average.
• Tavion Banks' 4.7 rebounds per game lead the Hawkeyes and rank 731st in college basketball.
• Illinois ranks fourth in college basketball by averaging 109.2 points per 100 possessions on offense, and defensively is 46th in college basketball, allowing 89.5 points per 100 possessions.
• The Hawkeyes rank 15th in college basketball with 107.6 points scored per 100 possessions, and 168th defensively with 94.9 points conceded per 100 possessions.

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