March Madness is in full swing. The 2026 Sweet 16 games taking place this week. One No. 1 seed has been knocked out of the annual NCAA basketball tournament. That team, Florida, fell to No. 9 seed Iowa in the second round, losing 73-72. All four No. 2 seeds remain in the tournament. We look at the matchup between one of those seeds, Houston, which faces No. 3 seed Illinois in the hope of moving on to the Elite Eight.
Illinois (26-8) finished the year tied for No. 2 in the Big Ten with Nebraska and Michigan State with a 15-5 conference record. The Fighting Illini have wins over No. 14 Pennsylvania (105-70) and No. 11 VCU (76-55) in the opening rounds of the NCAA championship tournament.
Houston (30-6) was the No. 2 team in the Big 12 this year, finishing the year with a conference record of 14-4. The Cougars opened Mach Madness with victories over No. 14 Idaho (78-47) and No. 10 Texas A&M (88-57).
Illinois and Houston play on Thursday, March 26, at Toyota Center in Houston.
Who: Illinois vs. Houston
Where: Toyota Center in Houston, TX
When: Thursday, March 23, 2026
Time: 10:05 p.m. ET
How to Watch: TBS, truTV
| Teams |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | +140 | +145 | +138 |
| Houston | -160 | -170 | -160 |
| Illinois +3.5 | -113 | -110 | -115 |
| Houston -3.5 | -107 | -110 | -105 |
| Over 140 Points | -108 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 140 Points | -112 | -110 | -110 |
The Illinois Illini had a tough end to the 2026 NCAA season. In the team’s five losses since February 7, Illinois lost four overtime games. Three of those defeats came to ranked teams (Michigan State and twice to Wisconsin). The team’s wins during that 4-5 run came against unranked opposition. The question entering Thursday’s Sweet 16 contest is if the Illini can handle a full 40 minutes against an opponent that will stick around until the end of regulation, and possibly overtime?
Illinois is one of the most active teams in college basketball when it comes to shooting three-pointers. The team averages 31.4 attempts per game. While they are not among the leaders in making those shots, connecting on an average of 34.99 percent, the Illini are coming off a game where they hit 38 percent of their threes.
Keaton Wagler leads Illinois in scoring with 17.8 points per game, 4.4 assists, and 0.9 steals. David Mirkovic is first on the club in rebounds with 7.9. Five players on the Illini average more than 10 points per game.
Last year, the Houston Cougars reached the NCAA men’s final, only to fall to the Florida Gators by a score of 65-63. With this season’s March Madness in full swing, the team is among the betting favorites to win the 2026 championship. The Cougars face their first big test of the tournament in Illinois.
Houston’s three-point defense, which is among the best in the NCAA at 68.6 percent, will be tested by Illinois. Another stat that stands out for Houston is the fact that the team has the fewest turnovers in the NCAA this year, averaging just 8.4 per game. With so few turnovers, the Cougars have earned 320 more scoring chances than their opponents this season. That’s the eighth most in college basketball. Illinois is ninth in that stat with 316. Controlling the ball is a must in this game.
The Cougars were a No. 1 seed in three previous years and have put together four years in a row of 32 or more wins. They also brought back three starters from last year’s squad.
Kingston Flemings leads the team in points (16.2), assists (5.2), and steals (1.6). Chris Cenac Jr. is the team leader in rebounds (7.8).
The betting pick is for the Houston Cougars to beat the Illinois Fighting Illini and move onto the Elite 8 in 2026.
Prior to making any bets on your NCAA Basketball picks, you definitely should look at our picks to make the 2026 Final Four. You can also look at the latest Vegas March Madness betting odds, as well as our betting pick to win the NCAA basketball championship. You should also be taking advantage of these Vegas betting site bonuses to make the most of your NCAA Basketball betting.
