Tuesday’s college basketball slate is stacked with three matchups featuring two ranked teams. One of the big games is a Big-12 vs. Big Ten battle between No. 11 Texas Tech and No. 14 Illinois. Both teams enter this game with a 2-0 record, but this is each of their first big-time matchup of the season.
Illinois is a -3.5-point favorite in this game while Texas Tech is a +145 underdog to win this contestĀ on DraftKings Sportsbook. Here is my best bet for the Tuesday matchup between Texas Tech vs. Illinois.
Texas Tech vs. Illinois (8:30 p.m. ET)
Brad Underwood brought in four four-star prospects, with two four-star players from the transfer portal this offseason. Kylan Boswell, Illinois’ starting point guard, returned, and he is coming off an excellent performance with 31 points and 10 rebounds against Florida Gulf Coast. The Fighting Illini have five players averaging double-digit points this season who have played in both games.
Texas Tech lost Darrion Williams and Chance McMillian, two of their top three scorers from last season’s team. Even though the Red Raiders added seven new players, they still have JT Toppin, the reigning Big 12 player of the year. Toppin recorded 31 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, and three steals in his first game this season against Sam Houston. Sophomore guard Christian Anderson is off to a hot start, averaging 26 points and nine assists in his first two contests.
Illinois scored 113 points in each of its first two games while Texas Tech totaled 98 in both of its contests. With Texas Tech having many new pieces this season, they are likely to reach their best form later in the season. Illinois has two elite returning players in Tomislav Ivisic and Boswell, while also receiving a significant amount of production from their freshmen. It is tough to do, but if Illinois can slow down Toppin, they should be able to win and cover the spread.
