VCU (11) vs. Illinois (3) Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
Round two of the NCAA Tournament tips off on Saturday, when the No. 11 seed VCU Rams try to continue their run at the expense of the No. 3 seed Illinois Fighting Illini. It is a South Region showdown at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. VCU is coming off a wild upset of No. 6 North Carolina, while Illinois had no trouble with No. 14 Penn.
This marks just the second head-to-head meeting between these programs. They previously squared off in December 2016, when Illinois paid a visit to VCU and rolled 64-46.
VCU vs. Illinois NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
VCU was only a small +2.5 underdog against No. 6 seed UNC, but the story is much different in this matchup with Illinois. The spread has the Rams getting +10.5 points on the NCAA odds board, while they are +410 to win outright. The Fighting Illini are -550 on the money line. As for the game total, it is set at 151.5 points.
The trends indicate that this game could be more competitive than many expect. VCU is 3-0 against the spread in its last three overall; Illinois is 2-4 ATS in its last six. Meanwhile, the Under is 5-1 in the Rams’ last six contests; the Over, however, has cashed in three straight for Illinois.
VCU Rams
Even though they were by no means huge underdogs, the Rams’ win over North Carolina was historic. They staged the largest first-round comeback in the history of March Madness, recovering from a 19-point deficit to prevail 82-78 in overtime. Terrence Hill Jr. exploded for 34 points on a 13-for-23 performance from the floor (7-for-10 on three-pointers) in addition to five assists and five rebounds.
Hill may have been somewhat of a one-man show on Thursday, but that does not have to be the case with head coach Phil Martelli’s squad. VCU goes 10 deep on its roster, and seven different players are scoring at least 7.2 points per game. That may be part of the reason why the Rams are so hot late in the season. They preceded their victory over the Tar Heels by rolling to the Atlantic 10 Tournament title and boast a 17-1 record in their last 18 games.
Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois took a much different route to the last 32, hammering Penn 105-70 on Thursday night. The Fighting Illini’s halftime lead was a modest 40-30, but they erupted for a whopping 65 points in the final 20 minutes. Five different guys scored in double-figures, including David Mirkovic with 29 points and Ben Humrichous with 12 off the bench on 4-for-8 three-point shooting.
That kind of production is nothing new for Illinois, which ranks No. 16 nationally at 85.0 points per game. Five of the eight players in their standard rotation are averaging in double-figures. Why do the Illini score so many points? It can be attributed to the fact that head coach Brad Underwood’s team simply gives itself a ton of opportunities. Illinois is seventh in the nation in overall rebounding percentage, including third in offensive rebounding percentage.
Who Will Win Rams vs. Fighting Illini?
Despite its success in round one, Illinois is still a disappointing 5-5 in its last 10 games. VCU is on much more of a roll, so don’t sleep on this particular matchup even though the spread is of the double-digit variety. It should be an entertaining one, too, as the Rams are also averaging more than 81 points per contest (No. 40 in the country in that department).
The battle of the boards could end up being the difference in Illinois’ favour. Let’s go with Illinois 80, VCU 77.