Published Mar 25, 7:46am ET by
Demilade Adelekun - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Mar 25, 7:46am ET
Houston and Illinois will clash in the Sweet Sixteen. With the Elite Eight on the line, who will advance?
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| Illinois Fighting Illini | +132 |
| Houston Cougars | -162 |
Houston is 30-6 overall and the 2nd seed in the South Region. They are making their seventh straight Sweet 16 appearance under Kelvin Sampson, who has built the most consistently intense program in the country.
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Flemings leads at 16.2 ppg and is the other half of the most talked-about freshman point guard matchup of this tournament alongside Wagler. As a team, Houston ranks 1st nationally in turnovers per game and 2nd in scoring defense. They forced Texas A&M into their lowest scoring output of the season. Will they be able to slow down one of the best offenses in the country?
Illinois is 26-8 overall and the 3rd seed in the South Region, in their second Sweet 16 in three years, and their most efficient team since Brad Underwood arrived in Champaign.
They are led by Keaton Wagler, one of the best freshmen in the country. Wagler is an AP Second Team All-American, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and averages 17.9 ppg on 41% from three. Illinois as a whole is elite offensively. They finished the year ranked as the most efficient offense in KenPom history.
This is the best game of the Sweet 16. Illinois has the offense to score on anyone, but Houston's defensive intensity is on another level. Sampson's teams show up for big moments, the crowd is essentially home, and Houston is 3-3 all-time with Illinois. The Cougars win a grind-it-out game decided by turnovers in the final five minutes. Our pick is Houston (-162).
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Pick
Houston (-162)
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