In a Round of 32 NCAA Tournament game, the (5) Houston Cougars will face off with the (4) Illinois Fighting Illini in the South Region. Let’s take a look at the top college basketball betting odds, picks, bracketology, betting trends and KenPom Rankings, then give our Houston vs Illinois prediction for the game today.
Houston vs Illinois | NCAA Tournament Bracketology
2022 NCAA Tournament
No. 4 Houston Cougars (30-5) vs. No. 5 Illinois Fighting Illini (23-9)
Date: Sunday, March 20, 2022
Time: 12:10 PM EST
Venue: PPG Paints Arena — Pittsburgh, PA
Coverage: CBS
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Houston vs Illinois College Basketball Betting Picks and Odds
All college basketball betting odds for Houston vs Illinois can be found at BetUS Sportsbook.
Moneyline: HOU: (-195) | ILL: (+170)
Point Spread: HOU: -4.5 (-110) | ILL: +4.5 (-110)
Total: 133 — Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)
KenPom Rankings | Bracketology
KenPom Rankings are from KenPom.com
Team | Rk | AdjO | AdjD | AdjT |
Houston | 3 | 117.9 | 90.9 | 64.0 |
Illinois | 17 | 112.7 | 93.3 | 67.2 |
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Houston vs Illinois College Basketball Betting Trends
- Houston is 8-1 against the spread (ATS) in its last nine games.
- The UNDER is 6-2 in Houston’s last eight games.
- Houston is 9-1 straight up in their last 10 games.
- Illinois is 1-5 ATS in its last six games.
- The UNDER is 4-1 in Illinois’ last five games.
Houston vs Illinois Prediction | March Madness Picks and Bracketology
In the First Round, Houston was able to coast against UAB. They led the entire game thanks to hot shooting. The Cougars shot 53% from the field and 47% from deep. Houston did struggle from the free throw line, but that looks like more of a slight bump in the road than a dangerous trend.
Illinois needed some help from Chattanooga choking and some interesting calls to squeak past the Mocks in the first round. Kofi Cockburn struggled mightily with Chattanooga’s defense and now faces an even better defense with even better post players. This will be the toughest test for Houston this season, but they should be able to best an Illinois team that historically struggles in the tournament.
Our college basketball betting Houston vs Illinois prediction tonight will be Houston WINS at BetUS.
For what it’s worth, the ESPN Matchup Predictor gives Houston a 71.0% chance to win.