Illinois vs. Penn odds, prediction: 2026 NCAA Tournament picks from proven model

The 2026 NCAA Tournament begins on Thursday and one of the late-night matchups will pit No. 3 seed Illinois against No. 14 seed Pennsylvania in the South Region. The Fighting Illini went 24-8 overall during the regular season and posted a 15-5 mark during Big Ten play while the Quakers were 17-11 overall and 9-5 in the Ivy League before going on to win the conference tournament. 

Tipoff from Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greeneville, South Carolina is at 9:25 p.m. ET. The Illini are 24.5-point favorites in the latest Illinois vs. Penn odds, with the over/under at 150.5. 

Before making any Penn vs. Illinois picks, check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered the 2026 NCAA Tournament on a sizzling 11-1 run on top-ranked over/under picks dating back to last year, and is on a 28-22 run on top-rated CBB side picks. Anyone following could have seen HUGE returns!

The model has simulated Illinois vs. Penn 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is going Over on the total, and it also says one side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time!

So who wins Penn vs. Illinois, and which side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time? Join SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has simulated this matchup 10,000 times!