Illinois vs VCU College Basketball Prediction, Odds, Picks, Best Bets for NCAA Tournament Second Round

The No. 3 seed Illinois Fighting Illini (25-8) try to earn a trip to the Sweet 16 in an NCAA Tournament Round of 32 matchup against the No. 11 seed VCU Rams (28-7) on Saturday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, starting at 7:50 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. VCU Game Info and Odds

• Game day: Saturday, March 21, 2026
• Game time: 7:50 p.m. ET
• TV channel: CBS
• Location: Greenville, South Carolina
• Arena: Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Illinois vs. VCU Picks and Prediction

All college basketball win probability predictions and picks are according to numberFire.
Prediction: Illinois win (62.6%)

Before placing a bet on Saturday's Illinois-VCU spread (Illinois -10.5) or total (152.5 points), check out the betting trends and insights below.

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Illinois vs. VCU: ATS Betting Stats and Trends

• Illinois has covered 19 times in 33 games with a spread this season.
• VCU is 19-16-0 ATS this season.
• Illinois covers the spread when it is a 10.5-point favorite or more 52.9% of the time. That's less often than VCU covers as an underdog of 10.5 or more (100%).
• The Fighting Illini have done a better job covering the spread in road games (6-4-0) than they have in home games (10-7-0).
• Against the spread, the Rams have had better results on the road (6-4-0) than at home (7-10-0).

Illinois vs. VCU: Moneyline Betting Stats

• Illinois has come away with 18 wins in the 23 contests it has been listed as the moneyline favorite in this season.
• This year, the Fighting Illini have won 12 of 14 games when listed as at least -610 or better on the moneyline.
• VCU has put together a 2-4 record in games it was listed as the moneyline underdog (winning 33.3% of those games).
• The Rams have played as a moneyline underdog of +440 or longer in just one game this season, which they lost.
• The moneyline set for this matchup implies Illinois has a 85.9% chance of coming away with a victory in the contest.

Illinois vs. VCU Head-to-Head Comparison

• Last season, Illinois was ninth-best in college basketball offensively (83.6 points scored per game) and ranked 263rd on defense (74.8 points allowed).
• Illinois was the best squad in the country in rebounds per game (39.7) and ranked 104th in rebounds allowed (30.1) last season.
• With 14.9 assists per game last year, Illinois was 83rd in college basketball.
• Last season, Illinois was 215th in the nation in turnovers committed (11.4 per game) and second-worst in turnovers forced (8.5).
• VCU was lifted by its defense last season, as it ranked eighth-best in the nation by surrendering just 62.9 points per game. It ranked 94th in college basketball in points scored (76.9 per contest).
• VCU allowed 29.4 rebounds per game last year (65th-ranked in college basketball), but it thrived by averaging 35.3 rebounds per contest (25th-best).
• VCU delivered 15.0 dimes per game, which ranked them 77th in the country.
• VCU committed 10.9 turnovers per game (150th-ranked in college basketball). It forced 12.9 turnovers per contest (53rd-ranked).

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