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It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with an Arkansas-Illinois prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Arkansas-Illinois.
The college basketball buffet of Feast Week continues with another in a series of high-profile matchups, and this one could be a lot of fun. Feast Week has this delicious Thanksgiving dish called Arkansas-Illinois.
The Illinois Fighting Illini hope that their early-season loss to Alabama prepared them for this game. The Illini defense gave up 100 points to Alabama. Now Illinois tests itself against another SEC team.
Arkansas is entering the John Calipari era. It has not been a smooth run for Cal in the first month of his Arkansas tenure, which is to be expected. A new setting, new roster, new pieces, and new challenges exist for Calipari. It is worth taking note of one of the games Arkansas played earlier this season and how it might potentially fit into this contest.
Arkansas played a high-profile nonconference battle against Baylor. The Bears were crushed by 38 points by Gonzaga on opening night. Baylor has really struggled at the defensive end of the floor. Baylor got crushed by Tennessee last week and was fundamentally non-competitive in that game. Baylor has a lot of glaring defensive flaws which will take time to be corrected … but Baylor was able to contain the Arkansas offense in a 72-67 victory over the Razorbacks. That tells you what is going on with Calipari's team. Arkansas' offense is a work in progress, and Calipari has to figure out solutions.
More than anything else, playing Illinois and its shaky defense could be the very thing which unlocks Arkansas' offensive potential. One could view this game as a battle between UA's stoppable force and Illinois' moveable object. The team which can minimize its weaknesses is the team which will win.
Bettors need to take note that this game will be played in Kansas City, a neutral site. Our guess is that more Illinois fans will be on hand, but that's only a guess, not a fact.
Here are the Arkansas-Illinois College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Arkansas-Illinois Odds
Arkansas: +2.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +118
Illinois: -2.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -142
Over: 154.5 (-115)
Under: 154.5 (-105)
How to Watch Arkansas vs Illinois
Time: 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT
TV: CBS
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Arkansas Will Cover The Spread/Win
Illinois' defense will be the get-well tonic Arkansas' halfcourt offense needs to get going and become healthy. This is the right matchup at the right time for Arkansas. There are so many other teams with better halfcourt defenses which could give Arkansas so many more problems. The Razorbacks might be able to get into an offensive rhythm and play this game the way they want to.
Why Illinois Will Cover The Spread/Win
The loss to Alabama will pay dividends for Illinois in this game. We can safely say that after playing Alabama and its elite talent, Arkansas will look a lot easier to go up against by comparison. The Illini don't have to play a spectacular defensive game to win, just a moderately good one, and their offense can be enough to bring this one home.
Final Arkansas-Illinois Prediction & Pick
We are leaning to Illinois, but we ultimately see these two teams as mysteries and not clear-cut knowable entities. You should stay away from this game. Study these teams and do homework for bets later in the season.
Final Arkansas-Illinois Prediction & Pick: Illinois -2.5
