#20 Illinois vs. #17 Tennessee Prediction, Picks & Odds Today, 12/9: CBS
The Illinois Fighting Illini and the Tennessee Volunteers will meet today for a top-20 non-conference matchup. You can watch this game on CBS and it will top off at 12:00 PM ET. We have shared our expert Illinois vs. Tennessee best bets below.
Illinois is coming off a massive win against Florida Atlantic on Tuesday night in Madison Square Garden. They will look to keep it rolling tonight after scoring 98 points in the Garden and getting a great early season win. Tennessee is 5-3 on the season and needs to pile on wins to ensure they are as good as their preseason ranking suggested.
They have losses to great teams like Purdue, Kansas and North Carolina, but a win here will answer any questions that doubters may have. We have highlighted our expert Illinois vs. Tennessee prediction below with odds from FanDuel Sportsbook.
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ILLINOIS VS. TENNESSEE PREDICTION: Volunteers money line (-310 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
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Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Tennessee Volunteers Prediction for Today, 12/9 on CBS
The game will be one of the very first games of the loaded slate and it should be one of the best ones all day long. Both of these teams are ranked in the top 20 of the latest AP Poll and have their eyes set on a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. The Volunteers will be the host of this matchup, so they are the focus of our expert Illinois vs. Tennessee prediction.
The Tennessee Volunteers money line offered at FanDuel Sportsbook is the top pick from our experts’ Illinois vs. Tennessee best bets because they have been able to take care of business on their home floor over the years. They play their home games inside of the Thompson-Boling Arena and it is one of the best home environments in the entire country. The Volunteers have lost just two games at home over the past two seasons, including their undefeated record at home in the 2021-22 season. We expect them to continue their dominance and beat Illinois, who they are favored against by seven points.
Illinois vs. Tennessee Best Bets & CBB Picks Highlighting the Volunteers Money Line
The Volunteers' defense should show up in a big way, and Dalton Knect will be on the court. We'll detail more about him below, but he's one of the best players in the entire country and causes huge matchup problems.
He is averaging 19 points and four rebounds per game in his first season in high major ball. Their defense also gives them a great chance to win this one as they are currently ranked #2 in adjusted efficiency according to KenPom. Illinois’s offense looked good against FAU in New York City, but it had struggled in every other game this year. That could be an issue for the Illini here and we believe Tennessee will come out with a win.
We'll explain how to get far better value on our Illinois vs. Tennessee prediction f the Volunteer's money line (-310 at FanDuel Sportsbook) in just a moment.
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So, you can bet on our Illinois vs. Tennessee prediction and get the Volunteers at 30/1 odds! That's a massive favorite providing 30 times your bet amount, and with no FanDuel promo code needed, you can sign up here to get started and pick any team you'd like.
Latest Illinois vs. Tennessee Odds, Betting Lines & Spread for Today, 12/9 Brought to You by FanDuel
We have highlighted the Illinois vs. Tennessee odds at FanDuel Sportsbook below:
Point spread:
- Illinois Fighting Illini +7 (-110) vs. Tennessee Volunteers -7 (-110)
Money line:
- Illinois Fighting Illini (+250) vs. Tennessee Volunteers (-310)
Total (over/under):
- Over 145.5 (-110) vs. Under 145.5 (-110)
So, a $31 bet profits $10 as long as Tennessee wins the game, but that would be on top of a $150 bonus.
Dalton Knecht Injury Update
We mentioned Knecht already, and we expect him on the court today. He's been one of the best players in the country after transferring to Knoxville after averaging over 20 points per game at Colorado.
It's his ankle that has bothered him since the UNC game, but given the oddsmakers having the Volunteers as such heavy favorites, they too believe he should be good to go. That only further supports our Illinois vs. Tennessee prediction and you can too at 30/1 odds when you create a new FanDuel account ahead of tip-off.
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