The Illinois Fighting Illini continue their NCAA Tournament run on Thursday with a Sweet 16 battle against the Houston Cougars.
Illini coach Brad Underwood and the No. 3 seed Illini (26-8) meet the No. 2 seed Cougars (30-6) in the South Region at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
Here are the betting odds and a few predictions heading into the game:
How to watch Illinois vs. Houston basketball
Round: NCAA Sweet 16
Site: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Tip-off time: 9:05 p.m. Central
Where to watch: TBS/Tru TV with Kevin Harlan, Robbie Hummel, Stan Van Gundy, & Lauren Shehadi.
Where to stream: March Madness Live app, and HBO Max.
Illinois vs. Houston odds, betting info
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Wednesday, March 25.
If you’re new to sports betting, don’t worry. We have tips for beginners on how to place a bet online. And USA TODAY Network readers can claim exclusive promos and bonus codes with these online sportsbooks and sports betting sites.
Illinois vs Houston basketball predictions, picks
The Journal Star staff makes its picks for Illinois basketball vs. Houston:
Illinois 81, Houston 77: The Fighting Illini have their work cut out for them against the South’s No. 2 seed. Look for Illinois guard Andrej Stjakovic to continue his production off the bench. He scored 21 points in the second-round win over VCU. Houston, which was last season’s NCAA national runner-up, won both of its tournament games by 31 points. Kingston Flemings is Houston’s leading scorer at 16.4 points a game. Emanuel Sharp averages 15.3 points. — Adam Duvall
Houston 73, Illinois 72: The Illini are the No. 2 offense in the KenPom rankings while Houston is the No. 4 defense. That sets the battlefield lines firmly as Houston tries to continue toward a repeat appearance in the national title game and the Illini make their second Sweet 16 appearance in three postseasons under Brad Underwood. Illinois has two freshmen leading the way on a very big stage in Keaton Wagler (17.8 ppg) and David Mirkovic (13.6 ppg). Houston has to keep Illinois off the 3-point line. The winner of this game likely earns a ticket to the Final Four, because the Elite 8 round will offer No. 9 Iowa or No. 4 Nebraska as opponents, and neither is as good as Illinois-Houston. — Dave Eminian
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men’s basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Houston vs Illinois basketball: Sweet 16 predictions, odds
Reporting by Dave Eminian and Adam Duvall, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
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