Virginia Commonwealth vs. Illinois

Outstanding job by VCU coming from 19 points down to upset North Carolina, 82-78, in its first round NCAA Tournament game. But now the Rams draw Illinois. The Illini have a major talent and height advantage. The Illini entered March Madness as the second-best team in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency. Illinois has been complacent at times. But that certainly wasn't the case this past Thursday. Illinois destroyed Penn in its opening round game, winning 105-70 as a 25.5-point favorite. The Illini are extremely motivated to get past the second round of the NCAA tournament, something they failed to do last season. The Rams are going to have to deal with a pair of 7-footers along with star guard Keaton Wagler, a potential top-10 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Illinois has covered 10 of the past 15 times when laying more than eight points this season. Take Illinois.