Who’s Playing
No. 11 Arizona @ Illinois
Current Records: Arizona 8-0; Illinois 7-2
What to Know
The #11 Arizona Wildcats will take on the Illinois Fighting Illini at 5 p.m. ET Saturday at State Farm Center. Arizona will be hoping to build upon the 90-69 win they picked up against Illinois when they previously played in November of 2019.
Everything went the Wildcats’ way against the Wyoming Cowboys on Wednesday as they made off with a 94-65 win. Four players on Arizona scored in the double digits: guard Bennedict Mathurin (24), guard Kerr Kriisa (17), forward Azuolas Tubelis (17), and guard Justin Kier (13).
Meanwhile, Illinois came out on top in a nail-biter against the Iowa Hawkeyes on Monday, sneaking past 87-83. Illinois got their victory on the backs of several key players, and it was guard Jacob Grandison out in front picking up 21 points.
Barring any buzzer beaters, Arizona is expected to win a tight contest. They might be worth taking a chance on against the spread as they are currently on a four-game streak of ATS wins.
Their wins bumped the Wildcats to 8-0 and the Fighting Illini to 7-2. Bennedict Mathurin will be someone to keep an eye on after he dropped a double-double on 24 points and ten boards along with five assists on Wednesday. Let’s see if he can build on that strong performance or if Illinois’ defense can bottle him up.
How To Watch
- When: Saturday at 5 p.m. ET
- Where: State Farm Center — Champaign, Illinois
- TV: FOX
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Ticket Cost: $87.50
Odds
The Wildcats are a slight 2.5-point favorite against the Fighting Illini, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The line on this game has moved quite a bit since it opened, as it started out with the Fighting Illini as a 1.5-point favorite.
Over/Under: -118
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Series History
Arizona won the only game these two teams have played in the last seven years.
- Nov 10, 2019 – Arizona 90 vs. Illinois 69
Injury Report for Illinois
- Austin Hutcherson: Out (Back)
- Andre Curbelo: Out (Neck)
Injury Report for Arizona
- Kim Aiken Jr.: Game-Time Decision (Personal)
