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Home / Predictions / College Basketball / Illinois vs Houston Predictions & Picks – Cougars To Delight Home Crowd In March Madness

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Illinois vs Houston Predictions & Picks – Cougars To Delight Home Crowd In March Madness

Quick Read

  • Illinois vs Houston picks for Thursday, March 26
  • Game is taking place at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas
  • Preview, predictions, stats & form
Leigh Copson
Written by Leigh Copson
Sports Editor25+ Years Experience, US & Combat Sports Specialist
Updated: Mar 23, 2026
march madness

(Getty Images)

Illinois vs Houston Predictions & Picks

Houston are tipped to cover the spread as they win this Elite Eight showdown.

Illinois pose a serious threat, but the Cougars have been playing lockdown defense and they can benefit from playing this matchup in front of a hometown crowd.

  • Houston are 7-1 in their last 8 games
  • Houston are 2-0-0 ATS in March Madness so far
  • Illinois are 3-4 in their previous 7 games
  • The Under has cashed in 11 of Houston’s last 15 games

Head To Head

  • The all-time series is tied at 3-3
  • Houston won 68-53 when the two teams last met in March 2022

Illinois Form

DateOpponentW/LScoreCompetition
Feb-10 Wisconsin L 90-92 OT Regular Season
Feb-15 Indiana W 71-51 Regular Season
Feb-18 USC W 101-65 Regular Season
Feb-21 UCLA L 94-95 OT Regular Season
Feb-27 Michigan L 70-84 Regular Season
Mar-03 Oregon W 80-54 Regular Season
Mar-08 Maryland W 78-72 Regular Season
Mar-13 Wisconsin L 88-91 OT Conference Tournament
Mar-19 Penn W 105-70 NCAA Tournament
Mar-21 VCU W 76-55 NCAA Tournament

Houston Form

DateOppositionW/LScoreCompetition
Feb-21 Arizona L 66-73 Regular Season
Feb-23 Kansas L 56-69 Regular Season
Feb-28 Colorado W 102-62 Regular Season
Mar-04 Baylor W 77-64 Regular Season
Mar-07 Oklahoma State W 82-75 Regular Season
Mar-12 BYU W 73-66 Conference Tournament
Mar-13 Kansas W 69-47 Conference Tournament
Mar-14 Arizona L 74-79 Conference Tournament
Mar-19 Idaho W 78-47 NCAA Tournament
Mar-21 Texas A&M W 88-57 NCAA Tournament
Leigh Copson
Leigh Copson

Sports Editor25+ Years Experience, US & Combat Sports Specialist

During his career he has covered some of the biggest sporting events on the planet, including the Super Bowl, the Champions League Final and the World Cup Final. He has also covered almost every major boxing match and UFC fight card during this time.. His specialist sports are American Football, Basketball, Ice Hockey, Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts and Football.


Follow more of Leigh's work on Muckrack.

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