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

A Sweet 16 battle features the No. 2 seed Houston Cougars (30-6) taking the court against the No. 3 seed Illinois Fighting Illini (26-8) on Thursday at Toyota Center. This NCAA Tournament matchup tips at 10:05 p.m. ET, with the winner advancing to the South regional final.

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 (60.6%)

Take a look at these betting trends and insights before you wager on Thursday's Houston-Illinois spread (Houston -2.5) or over/under (139.5 points).

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Houston vs. Illinois: ATS Betting Stats and Trends

• Houston has won 18 games against the spread this season, while failing to cover 18 times.
• Illinois has won 20 games against the spread this year, while failing to cover 14 times.
• As a 2.5-point underdog or more in 2025-26, Illinois is 2-1 against the spread compared to the 17-15 ATS record Houston racks up as a 2.5-point favorite.
• Against the spread, the Cougars have played better when playing at home, covering nine times in 16 home games, and four times in nine road games.
• This year, the Fighting Illini are 10-7-0 at home against the spread (.588 winning percentage). On the road, they are 6-4-0 ATS (.600).

Houston vs. Illinois: Moneyline Betting Stats

• Houston has won in 26, or 86.7%, of the 30 contests it has been named as the moneyline favorite in this year.
• This season, the Cougars have come away with a win 25 times in 28 chances when named as a favorite of at least -142 or better on the moneyline.
• Illinois has a 2-3 record in games it was the underdog on the moneyline (winning 40% of those games).
• The Fighting Illini have played as a moneyline underdog of +118 or longer in only two games this season, which they split 1-1.
• The moneyline set for this matchup implies Houston has a 58.7% chance of walking away with the 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 outing to rank second in college basketball.
• Houston's leading scorer, Kingston Flemings, ranks 206th in college basketball averaging 16.2 points per game.
• Illinois' +522 scoring differential (outscoring opponents by 15.3 points per game) is a result of putting up 84.7 points per game (17th in college basketball) while allowing 69.4 per outing (61st in college basketball).
• Keaton Wagler paces Illinois, putting up 17.8 points per game (102nd in college basketball).
• The 33.3 rebounds per game the Cougars average rank 104th in the country, and are 4.2 more than the 29.1 their opponents grab per contest.
• Chris Cenac Jr.'s 7.8 rebounds per game lead the Cougars and rank 92nd in college basketball play.
• The Fighting Illini average 37.9 rebounds per game (sixth in college basketball) while conceding 27.9 per outing to opponents. They outrebound opponents by 10 boards per game.
• David Mirkovic is 84th in the country with 7.9 rebounds per game, leading the Fighting Illini.
• Houston ranks 47th in college basketball with 103.6 points scored per 100 possessions, and third in college basketball defensively with 83.2 points conceded per 100 possessions.
• The Fighting Illini rank fourth in college basketball averaging 109.6 points per 100 possessions on offense, and defensively are 48th, allowing 89.7 points per 100 possessions.

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