The Marquette Golden Eagles take on the Illinois Fighting Illini. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Marquette Illinois prediction and pick. Find how to watch Marquette Illinois.

This is one of the better early-season matchups in college basketball, pitting two teams in the top 25. Marquette, though, is ranked in the top six and is being picked to fight the defending national champion Connecticut Huskies on relatively even terms at the top of the Big East Conference this season. Shaka Smart did not have an enjoyable tenure at Texas. He just couldn't turn the corner with the Longhorns, so he sought a new opportunity in Milwaukee with the Golden Eagles. He has reached consecutive NCAA Tournaments. Last season, he won the Big East regular season championship and got a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. This season, he brings back that core group from his 2023 team. Marquette is considered a legitimate Final Four contender. Smart made the Final Four with his Cinderella team at VCU in 2011. He hopes he has the formula for a return to the Final Four 13 years later.

Illinois isn't a top-six team the way Marquette is. Tbe Fighting Illini are in the back end of the top 25. They are talented, and they are a tough out at home. However, what has kept Illinois from being better under coach Brad Underwood is that the Illini are so volatile and inconsistent from year to year. They are great when everything is clicking, but they are horrible when they are not dialed in. Great teams have a much smaller differential between their best and worst levels of play. With Illinois, the wheels completely fall off on bad nights. This team isn't as good at damage control as a lot of other high-end teams in college basketball. In this game, Illinois will be challenged to minimize Marquette's runs and also avoid prolonged scoring droughts.

Here are the Marquette-Illinois College Basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

College Basketball Odds: Marquette-Illinois Odds

Marquette Golden Eagles: +2.5 (-115)

Illinois Fighting Illini: -2.5 (-105)

Over: 148.5 (-110)

Under: 148.5 (-110)

How To Watch Marquette vs Illinois

Time: 8:00 pm ET / 5:00 pm PT

TV: Fox Sports 1

Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Marquette Could Cover the Spread

The Golden Eagles have their main players back from last season. They are rated highly not because of an elite transfer portal acquisition, but because they were Big East champions last year and are bringing back the group which got them there. In an early-season game, having an experienced team figures to be a huge advantage for Marquette, especially on the road in a tough environment.

As we noted above, Illinois is volatile and inconsistent. The Illini can be great but can just as easily be awful. Marquette is more likely to be the steadier team in this game, and that will be enough to cover.

Why Illinois Could Cover the Spread

The Illini get this game at home. It's not a netural-site game, unlike the Champions Classic games being played in Chicago with Kansas, Kentucky, Duke, and Michigan State. A true home game should help Illinois play with the energy and effort that are needed to handle Marquette. Illinois might be inconsistent, but when the Illini are on, they're great. Playing at home gives them a better chance of playing great. They only need to perform well tonight.

Final Marquette-Illinois Prediction & Pick

The experience of Marquette's veteran group will prove decisive in this game. Take Marquette.

Final Marquette-Illinois Prediction & Pick: Marquette +2.5