Tennessee vs. Illinois odds: Current line, win probability, final score prediction, how to watch

No. 1 Tennessee has a tough road test on Saturday as the Vols will face Illinois in Champaign. The Vols are off to a 9-0 start to the season, but Illinois is having an excellent year, too, and is currently 7-2.

Tennessee is the top-ranked team in the country, despite having to replace first-round pick and All-American Dalton Knecht. North Florida transfer Chaz Lanier has stepped up and filled Knecht’s role as the go-to scorer for Tennessee. He’s averaging 19.1 points per game through nine games.

As for Illinois, the Illini have four players averaging in double figures, led by freshman Kasparas Jakucionis at 15.4 points per game. Here’s what you need to know about the matchup:

Odds for Tennessee vs. Illinois

Ahead of the matchup, Tennessee is listed as a 2.5-point favorite over Illinois, per FanDuel. The Vols are also currently listed at -130 for the moneyline. As for Illinois, the Illini are at +108 on the moneyline.

The point total for the game is currently set at 147.5 points. It’s safe to say Vegas is expecting a close contest.

Final score predictions for Tennessee vs. Illinois

BPI Predicted winner: Tennessee
BPI Predicted point differential: 1.7
BPI Win probability (for Tennessee): 56.7 percent
BPI Matchup Quality: 95.9

ESPN’s BPI is a model designed to provide a statistical comparison between two teams and predict future success. It agrees with Vegas about what to expect from this game. Leading into the game, BPI is projecting a point differential of 1.7 points in Tennessee’s favor. It also gives the Vols a 56.7 percent chance to win the game over Illinois.

BPI also gives this game a matchup quality score of 95.9, which is one of the highest of the day. The only game with a higher BPI matchup quality for Saturday is Gonzaga vs. UConn.

KenPom Predicted final score: Tennessee 74, Illinois 71
KenPom Win probability (for Tennessee): 61 percent

KenPom is another predictive system for college basketball. It’s designed to show how strong a team is at a given time, without taking factors like injuries into account. For this game between Tennessee and Illinois, KenPom agrees with BPI and Vegas. However, it projects the Vols to win by 3 points.

How to watch Tennessee vs. Illinois

Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
Channel: FOX, FuboTV (streaming)
Location: Champaign (Illinois)

Tennessee and Illinois are set to tip off at 5:30 p.m. EST on Saturday. The game will be played at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois.

For fans not attending the game, it can be watched on FOX. It’s also going to be available to fans on streaming through FuboTV, which does have an option for a free trial.