Illinois and Houston meet in a Sweet 16 matchup between one of the hottest offenses in the country and one of the nastiest defenses left in the March Madness field.
Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson shouts from the sidelines during the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies in a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center.Gambling content 21+.
The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our Illinois and Houston meet in a Sweet 16 matchup Thursday featuring one of the hottest offenses in the country and one of the nastiest defenses left in the The market opened with the second-seeded Cougars as a small favorite, around -2.5 to -3.5, with the full-game total in the 139.5-point range for this South Region matchup.in the tournament through the first two rounds, scoring 1.38 points per possession and dropping 105 and 84 points in their wins over No. 14 seed Penn and No. 11 seed VCU, respectively. Houston is one another level than those two teams, though, allowing No. 15 seed Idaho and No. 10 seed Texas A&M to shoot a combined 31.5 percent from the floor and 22.2 percent from deep while winning by 29 and 31 points, respectively. So far this season, only three teams rank higher than the Cougars on the defensive end, according to KenPom, and teams on their level have given the Illini fits this year. Iowa vs. Nebraska odds, prediction: March Madness Sweet 16 picks, best bets Thursday Michigan, one of the only teams rated higher than Houston on defense, handed the Illini their worst loss of the season on Feb. 27, holding them to just 70 points in a row. UConn, the 11th-ranked defense in the country, held Illinois to a season-low 61 points in November at Madison Square Garden in a neutral-site game. The Illini have looked unstoppable against weaker defenses, but Houston has the star power, personnel, discipline and physicality to drag this game into the kind of halfcourt fight that usually pulls scoring down.Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He’s particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.American tennis star has one-word reaction to stunning fiancée's Miami Open lookMets vs. Pirates live updates: Amazin's win on Opening DayStream It Or Skip It: 'Bait' On Prime Video, Where Riz Ahmed Is A Struggling Actor Who Helps Start A Rumor About Him Being The Next James Bond
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