Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers: How to watch live stream, TV channel, NCAA Basketball start time

Halftime Report

Only one more half stands between Illinois and the win they were favored to collect coming into this evening. A win is still up for grabs for either team after one quarter, but Illinois is up 48-45 over the Golden Gophers.

If Illinois keeps playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 21-7 in no time. On the other hand, Minnesota will have to make due with a 17-11 record unless they turn things around (and fast).

Who's Playing

Minnesota Golden Gophers @ Illinois Fighting Illini

Current Records: Minnesota 17-10, Illinois 20-7

How To Watch

When: Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at 9 p.m. ET
Where: State Farm Center -- Champaign, Illinois
TV: Big Ten Network
Follow: CBS Sports App
Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
Ticket Cost: $16.00

What to Know

We've got another exciting Big Ten matchup on schedule as the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Minnesota Golden Gophers are set to tip at 9:00 p.m. ET on February 28th at State Farm Center. The timing is sure in Illinois' favor as the team sits on five straight wins at home while the Golden Gophers have not had much luck on the away from home, with three straight road losses.

The oddsmakers set the bar high, but Illinois and the Hawkeyes didn't disappoint and broke past the 166.5 point over/under on Saturday. The Fighting Illini walked away with a 95-85 victory over the Hawkeyes. Having run the score up that high, both teams might be doing some extra defensive drills very soon.

Among those leading the charge was Coleman Hawkins, who scored 30 points along with five assists and five steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points he has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Justin Harmon, who scored 12 points.

Meanwhile, after soaring to 88 points the game before, Minnesota faltered in their contest on Sunday. They took a hard 73-55 fall against the Cornhuskers. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Minnesota has scored all season.

Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Minnesota struggled to work together and finished the game with only six assists. That's the fewest assists they've managed all season.

The Fighting Illini are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight matches, which provided a nice bump to their 20-7 record this season. As for the Golden Gophers, their defeat dropped their record down to 17-10.

Wednesday's matchup is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Illinois have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 42.3 rebounds per game (they're ranked fifth in rebounds per game overall). However, it's not like Minnesota struggles in that department as they've been averaging 36.3 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.

Going forward, Illinois is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 11 points. Those interested in the spread don't face an easy decision since they are 16-10-1 and Minnesota is 6-2.