The 17th-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini will look to get back on track when they take on the second-ranked Texas Longhorns in the 2022 Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. The Fighting Illini (6-2) are stinging from a 71-66 loss at No. 22 Maryland in the Big Ten opener on Friday. The Longhorns (6-0), meanwhile, have a number of impressive wins, including Thursday's 72-67 win over No. 7 Creighton. The Longhorns have won three of the five meetings with the Illini.
The game from New York tips off at 7 p.m. ET. Illinois is averaging 80.9 points per game, while Texas averages 80.5. The Longhorns are 3.5-point favorites in the latest Illinois vs. Texas odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 142. Before making any Texas vs. Illinois picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past six-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated more than $1,400 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anybody who has followed it has seen profitable returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Illinois vs. Texas and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines and for Illinois vs. Texas:
- Illinois vs. Texas spread: Texas -3.5
- Illinois vs. Texas over/under: 142 points
- Illinois vs. Texas money line: Texas -170, Illinois +145
- ILL: The Fighting Illini are 5-2 against the spread in their last seven games overall
- TEX: The Longhorns are 5-2 ATS in their last seven Tuesday games
- Illinois vs. Texas picks: See picks here
Why Texas can cover
New Mexico State transfer and senior guard Sir'Jabari Rice is off to a fast start with his new team. In six games off the bench for the Longhorns, he is averaging 10.3 points, four rebounds and three assists. He has averaged double-figure scoring in four of his five seasons at the collegiate level. His best game with Texas was in a 91-54 win over Rio Grande Valley when he scored 19 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out five assists.
Senior forward Dylan Disu, who is in his second season with the Longhorns after transferring from Vanderbilt, has started all six games for Texas. He is averaging 8.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. He has reached double figures in three games, including 12 in the win over Gonzaga. As a sophomore at Vanderbilt in 2020-21, he averaged 15 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.
Why Illinois can cover
The Fighting Illini have been paced by senior guard Terrence Shannon Jr. The transfer from Texas Tech is averaging a career-high 19.8 points per game, connecting on 48.5% of his field goals, including 38.9% from 3-point range. He is also averaging 6.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Shannon has had one double-double, a 29-point, 10-rebound performance against then-No. 8 UCLA in a 79-70 win on Nov. 18. He scored a season-high 30 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a 103-65 win over Monmouth on Nov. 14.
Sophomore forward Dain Dainja comes off the bench and has reached double figures in four games, including a 20-point, 15-rebound effort against Kansas City in an 86-48 win on Nov. 11. He also had a 17-point, 10-rebound effort in an 87-57 win over Eastern Illinois in the season opener on Nov. 7. For the year, he is averaging 11.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and one steal per game. He has been red hot from the floor, connecting on 74.1% of his field goals.
How to make Illinois vs. Texas picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the point total. In fact, it says Illinois' Matthew Mayer will score nearly two points more than his season average, while Texas' Sir'Jabari Rice will better his average by more than one point. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in well over 50% of simulations. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Illinois vs. Texas? And which side of the spread cashes in well over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Illinois vs. Texas spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up more than $1,400 on its college basketball picks the last six years, and find out.
