Pennsylvania vs Illinois Prediction 3/19/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

In this article, we will formulate a Pennsylvania vs Illinois Prediction for this NCAA Tournament 1st Round matchup on Thursday, March 19th. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this college basketball matchup.

Illinois Fighting Illini Preview

The Illinois Fighting Illini have a 24-8 overall record and a 15-5 record in the Big Ten conference. They are coming off a 91-88 loss against Wisconsin and their previous three games were a 78-72 road win against Maryland, an 80-54 win against Oregon and an 84-70 loss against Michigan.

Offensively, Illinois averages 84.4 points per game, while allowing 69.8 points per game defensively. The Fighting Illini shoot with 46% from the field and grab 40.7 rebounds per game, while dishing out 14.7 assists per game. They average 4.6 blocks per game and 3.8 steals per game defensively.

Keaton Wagler leads Illinois in scoring, with an average of 17.9 points per game, while shooting with 44.6% from the field and 80.5% from the free throw line, adding a team-high 4.4 assists. David Mirkovic is the team’s leading rebounder with 7.8 per game.

Pennsylvania Quakers Preview

The Pennsylvania Quakers have an 18-11 overall record and a 9-5 record in the Ivy League conference. They are coming off an 88-84 win against Yale and their previous three games were a 62-60 win against Harvard, an 82-61 road win against Brown and a 64-61 win against Harvard.

Offensively, Penn averages 76.1 points per game, while allowing 73.3 points per game defensively. The Quakers shoot with 44% from the field and grab 36.4 rebounds per game, while dishing out 14 assists per game. They average 3.1 blocks per game and 6.8 steals per game defensively.

Ethan Roberts leads Penn in scoring, with an average of 16.9 points per game, while shooting with 40.1% from the field and 79.9% from the free throw line. TJ Power is the team’s leading rebounder with 7.9 per game. AJ Levine leads the team in assists with 4 assists per game.

Penn Quakers @ Illinois Fighting Illini Betting Trends: March 19, 2026

Why the Illinois Fighting Illini will win

• Illinois has won each of its last 11 March games as an AP-ranked team against a non-AP-ranked team.
• Penn has lost five of its last six games against non-Conference opponents at neutral venues.
• Illinois has won the first half in each of its last 19 night games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Why the Penn Quakers will win

• Penn has won each of its last six night games.
• Illinois has lost four of its last five games as a top-15 AP-ranked team at neutral venues.
• Penn has won the first half in each of its last three games.

Total Points Facts

• Nine of Illinois’ last 10 games against non-AP-ranked opponents at a neutral venue have produced a total of 151+ points.
• Six of Penn’s last seven night games at a neutral venue have produced a total of 150 or fewer points.

Matchup/League Facts

• Illinois ranks 365th among Division 1 teams for steals per game this season (3.8).
• Illinois ranks 365th among Division 1 teams for opponent turnovers per game this season (7.8).
• Penn ranks 2nd among Division 1 teams for opponent free throw percentage this season (66.5%).
• Penn ranks 27th among Division 1 teams for opponent free throws made per game this season (11.4).

Pennsylvania vs Illinois Prediction

In this Pennsylvania vs Illinois Prediction, Illinois coming as -24.5 favorites. Illinois has been the far better team but they were eliminated in the Big 10 quarterfinals by Wisconsin. They are 2-3 in their last 5 games and 1-4 against the spread, but are a top-45 team in the nation both offensively and defensively. Penn has been red-hot lately, with a 9-1 record both overall and against the spread in its last 10 games and won the Ivy league, so I don’t think they deserve to be such huge underdogs. The points are too many so I will get the +24.5 points with Penn in this one.

Nikos Lagouretos's Pick: Pennsylvania +24.5