Who's Playing

No. 17 Illinois @ No. 2 Texas

Current Records: Illinois 6-2; Texas 6-0

What to Know

The #2 Texas Longhorns will square off against the #17 Illinois Fighting Illini at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. Texas will be strutting in after a win while the Fighting Illini will be stumbling in from a loss.

The Longhorns didn't have too much breathing room in their game with the Creighton Bluejays last Thursday, but they still walked away with a 72-67 victory. Texas got double-digit scores from four players: guard Marcus Carr (19), guard Tyrese Hunter (15), forward Timmy Allen (11), and forward Dillon Mitchell (10).

Meanwhile, Illinois was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap this past Friday as they fell 71-66 to the Maryland Terrapins. Illinois' defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of guard Terrence Shannon Jr., who had 19 points in addition to seven rebounds, and guard RJ Melendez, who had 13 points along with seven boards.

Barring any buzzer beaters, Texas is expected to win a tight contest. Those burned by picking them against the spread last week might want to keep in mind that the squad has not yet dropped back-to-back games against the spread this season.

The Longhorns' victory brought them up to 6-0 while the Fighting Illini's defeat pulled them down to 6-2. Two defensive stats to keep an eye on: Texas ranks ninth in college basketball when it comes to points allowed per game, with only 55.2 on average. As for Illinois, they have been holding their opponents to a field goal percentage of 37.50%, which places them 25th in college basketball.

How To Watch

  • When: Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET
  • Where: Madison Square Garden -- New York, New York
  • TV: ESPN
  • Follow: CBS Sports App

Odds

The Longhorns are a slight 2.5-point favorite against the Fighting Illini, according to the latest college basketball odds.

Bettors have moved against the Longhorns slightly, as the game opened with the Longhorns as a 4-point favorite.

Over/Under: -110

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Series History

This is the first time these teams have played each other within the last seven years.