Houston vs Illinois 3/20/22 - College Basketball Picks & Predictions

Last Updated: 03/19/2022 at 8:33 PM ET

The #4 seed Illinois Fighting Illini get set to take on the #5 seed Houston Cougars in the round of 32. The Fighting Illini beat Chattanooga 54-53 in the first round. Kofi Cockburn led Illinois with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Cockburn leads the team with 21 points per game on the season. 

Illinois has won six of their last ten games. The Fighting Illini average 35.5  rebounds per game which ranks 33rd best in the country. Illinois has three players who are averaging double digit points per game. 

The Houston Cougars beat UAB in the first round 82-68. Kyler Edwards led the Cougars with 25 points and 7 rebounds. Edwards is averaging 13.9 points per game. Marcus Sasser leads the team with 17.7 points per game. 

Houston is playing some of their best basketball as of late. The Cougars have won four straight games and nine of their last ten. Houston  is averaging 12.1 offensive rebounds per game which ranks 4th best in the nation. 

The Fighting Illini has covered the spread in just two of their last ten games while Houston has covered eight. If Houston can slow down Kofi Cockburn, Illinois will struggle against this talented Houston squad. Lay the points with the favorite. Final Score Prediction, Houston Cougars win and cover ATS 79-69.

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