It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Xavier-Illinois prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Xavier-Illinois.
The Xavier Musketeers played their way into this game. They won their First Four clash with Texas on Wednesday night. They trailed by as many as 13 points and were down by 10 in the second half, but they rallied to beat the Longhorns in Dayton and advance in the NCAA Tournament bracket. Xavier was fortunate to make the field. The Musketeers lost in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals to Marquette and were sweating out Selection Sunday. They were one of the last four teams in the field. They made the most of their opportunity against Texas. Now we will get to see if the Musketeers and stack another win on top of their First Four triumph. It would continue the trend of at least one First Four winner making the second round of the NCAA Tournament, something which has regularly happened in recent years.
Here are the Xavier-Illinois College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
2025 March Madness Tournament Odds: Xavier-Illinois Odds
Xavier: +3.5 (-115)
Moneyline: +128
Illinois: -3.5 (-105)
Moneyline: -154
Over: 159.5 (-115)
Under: 159.5 (-105)
How to Watch Xavier vs Illinois
Time: 9:45 p.m. ET/6:45 p.m. PT
TV: CBS
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Xavier Will Cover The Spread/Win
Xavier did not play a complete game against Texas and still won. Xavier was the second-best team in that game for 30 minutes, but it came on strong late to win. That show of resilience should enable the Musketeers to play with great confidence in this game. That should help them. The other key point to make about this game is that Illinois has been a wildly inconsistent team all season long. The Illini can score over 100 points at Oregon and blow out the Ducks by more than 30, but they are also capable of being boatraced, as was the case when they got completely wiped out by Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. The volatility of Illinois makes the Illini a less than fully dependable team for any bettor. Illinois has not earned the benefit of the doubt here.
Why Illinois Will Cover The Spread/Win
When Illinois plays well, it not only wins but wins big. This team crushed Penn State by 39 points. It beat Oregon by more than 30. It can score in bunches and can run opponents out of the building when shots are falling. This team has had a lot of injuries and illnesses over the course of the season which have interrupted this team’s flow and prevented it from being more cohesive and consistent. With a full week of rest before this NCAA Tournament, you should see Illinois play a better, sharper, more complete game. If the Illini do that, they will win by at least four points here, very probably more. If Illinois comes out with the energy and the focus we should expect from a team which has had a full week of rest, and which has a lot to prove in this NCAA Tournament, the Illini should win this game comfortably. The spread should be 5.5 points, but it is only 3.5. That seems like an open invitation to bettors.
Final Xavier-Illinois Prediction & Pick
We are going to take the open invitation presented by this very small point spread. Go with Illinois, a team which is very strong when locked in. Getting a full week of rest should make this Illini team fresh, focused, and prepared.
Final Xavier-Illinois Prediction & Pick: Illinois -3.5
The post Xavier vs Illinois prediction, odds, pick for Men’s March Madness 2025 appeared first on ClutchPoints.
