- No. 1 Tennessee will face Illinois at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday (FOX).
- The Volunteers are 9-0 entering their second road game of the year.
The No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers (9-0) will face their toughest test yet when they travel to face Illinois (7-2) at 5:30 p.m. ET on Saturday in the State Farm Center.
Tennessee has won all nine games by double figures, including a 75-62 victory over Miami on Tuesday in its first game since earning the No. 1 ranking in the AP poll. But the Fighting Illini could be the most formidable opponent the Volunteers have faced all season.
Will Illinois get a boost from its home crowd in a matchup against the best team in college basketball?
Here is a look at the latest Tennessee vs. Illinois college basketball odds and my prediction for Saturday’s showdown.
Tennessee vs. Illinois College Basketball Odds, Dec. 14
- Projected point spread: Tennessee -3
- Projected total: 145
While odds for this matchup aren’t yet available at the BetMGM online sportsbook, KenPom projects a 74-71 victory for the Volunteers. That would make Tennessee a 3-point road favorite with an over/under of 145.
I’ll update these odds when they become available, but let’s use this projection as a guideline for what to expect when the market is released.
Tennessee vs. Illinois Prediction – Saturday, Dec. 14
Based on KenPom’s projection, my Tennessee vs. Illinois college basketball prediction would be to take the points with the Fighting Illini in a game where they could deliver an upset at home.
Bart Torvik’s analytical website ranks Illinois as the 10th-best team in the country, which is 10 spots higher than Tennessee’s previous toughest opponent, Baylor. The Vols won that game by 13, but that was also on a neutral site.
Torvik’s projections give Tennessee a 1.3-point edge, indicating this game could be a true toss-up. Illinois has demonstrated its upside in recent weeks, thanks to a 90-77 win over Arkansas and an 86-80 victory over Wisconsin.
While it remains to be seen if the Fighting Illini can handle the Vols’ physicality, they have the makeup of a team capable of knocking off the No. 1 team in the country. They are eighth in the country in 3-point attempts, getting nearly 40% of their offensive production from long range.
If the shots fall on Saturday, we might see the No. 1 team go down for the second week in a row.
Prediction: Illinois +3
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