The Big Ten’s Fighting Illini of Illinois take the court Saturday evening for their second round NCAA Tournament game against the Rams of VCU.
Illinois is a heavy favorite following a dominant 105–70 first-round victory over Penn. The Illini, led by forward David Mirkovic (29 points, 17 rebounds) rolled offensively as they have so often this season. The Illini boast one of the nation’s most efficient offenses, currently ranking second in adjusted offensive efficiency. Coach Brad Underwood’s squad features a massive frontcourt anchored by a pair of centers in 7-foot-1 Tomislav Ivišić and 7-foot-2 Zvonimir Ivišić. They offer Illinois a significant size advantage against the smaller VCU Rams.
As noted, VCU overcame a 19-point deficit to upset North Carolina in an 82–78 overtime thriller on Thursday. The Rams rallied thanks in large part to sophomore guard Terrence Hill Jr. (34 points) and a stifling defense that forced UNC into frequent turnovers in the second half. VCU may indeed struggle with Illinois’ interior size, but their ability to create pressure and capitalize on transition opportunities makes them a formidable threat against one of the Big Ten’s best.
These schools have met once previously with Illinois winning 64-46 back in December of 21016.
Lets take a closer look at this Round 2 matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Game Details and How to Watch Live: Illinois vs. VCU
- Date: Saturday, March 21, 2026
- Time: 7:50PM EST
- Site: Bon Secours Wellness Arena
- City: Greenville, SC
- Network/Streaming: CBS
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Game Odds: Illinois vs. VCU
The latest odds as of Friday courtesy of DraftKings:
- Moneyline: Illinois Fighting Illini (-550) vs. VCU Rams (+410)
- Spread: Illinois -11.5
- Total: 151.5 points
This game opened Illinois -9.5 with the Total set at 154.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NCAA Basketball schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: Illinois vs. VCU
Illinois Fighting Illini
- G Keaton Wagler
- G Kylan Boswell
- F David Mirkovic
- F Jake Davis
- F Tomislav Ivisic
VCU Rams
- G Nyk Lewis
- G Brandon Jennings
- G Jadrian Tracey
- F Barry Evans
- F Lazar Djokovic
Important stats, trends and insights: Illinois vs. VCU
- VCU is 18-17 ATS overall this season
- Illinois is 18-15 ATS overall this season
- The OVER has cashed in 16 of VCU’s 35 games this season (16-19)
- The OVER has cashed in just 14 of Illinois’ 33 games this season (14-19)
- VCU shot 42% (11-26) from 3-point range against UNC
- Illinois scored 65 points in the second half of their game against Penn
- Illinois shot 42% (15-36) from 3-point range against Penn
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NCAA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Saturday’s game between Illinois and VCU:
- Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline
- Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on Illinois -11.5
- Total: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Game Total OVER 151.5
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