Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Purdue Boilermakers: How to watch NCAA Basketball online, TV channel, live stream info, start time

Halftime Report

Only one more half stands between Illinois and the win they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They have jumped out to a quick 40-34 lead against Purdue.

Illinois entered the match having won three straight and they're just one half away from another. Will they make it four, or will Purdue step up and spoil it? We'll know soon.

Who's Playing

Purdue Boilermakers @ Illinois Fighting Illini

Current Records: Purdue 26-3, Illinois 22-7

How To Watch

When: Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: State Farm Center -- Champaign, Illinois
TV: Peacock
Follow: CBS Sports App
Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
Ticket Cost: $130.00

What to Know

We've got another exciting Big Ten matchup on schedule as the Purdue Boilermakers and the Illinois Fighting Illini are set to tip at 7:00 p.m. ET on March 5th at State Farm Center. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a three-game winning streak alive.

Last Saturday, the Boilermakers were able to grind out a solid victory over the Spartans, taking the game 80-74.

Purdue can attribute much of their success to Braden Smith, who shot 4-for-4 from deep and almost dropped a double-double on 23 points and nine rebounds, and Zach Edey, who dropped a double-double on 32 points and 11 rebounds. Edey has been hot recently, having posted 22 or more points the last six times he's played. Another player making a difference was Fletcher Loyer, who scored 15 points.

Meanwhile, the matchup between Illinois and Wisconsin on Saturday hardly resembled the 61-51 effort from their previous meeting. The Fighting Illini walked away with a 91-83 win over the Badgers. That's two games straight that Illinois has won by exactly eight points.

Illinois' win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Marcus Domask, who scored 31 points along with eight rebounds. Terrence Shannon Jr. was another key contributor, scoring 23 points along with five rebounds and two steals.

The Boilermakers' win was their 16th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 26-3. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 89.4 points per game. As for the Fighting Illini, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six games, which provided a nice bump to their 22-7 record this season.

Tuesday's matchup is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Purdue just can't miss this season, having made 49.2% of their shots per game. However, it's not like Illinois struggles in that department as they've made 47.5% of their shots this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.

Purdue is hoping to beat the odds on Tuesday, as the experts think they're headed for a loss. This will be their first time playing as the underdogs on the road this season.