#11 Texas Tech vs. #14 Illinois Picks and Predictions: Can Red Raiders Upset Illini?

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Kylan Boswell leads the Illini in scoring, assists and steals this year - Illinois Tennessee Picks

Both of these programs have high hopes for this upcoming College Hoops season, but one of them will walk away with their first loss of the season tonight. The No. 11 ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders head to Champaign to take on Brad Underwood and the No. 14 ranked Illinois Fighting Illini. The European All Stars of Illinois look to keep their momentum rolling in the right direction over one of the top teams in the Big 12, and the entire country for that matter. Let’s get into our favorite picks in this matchup tonight.

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#11 Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. #14 Illinois Fighting Illini NCAA Basketball Insights

JT Toppin and Texas Tech take on Illinois on the road tonight - Texas Tech Illinois Picks

JT Toppin and Texas Tech take on Illinois on the road tonight

The Red Raiders scored 98 points exactly in both of their wins this season, holding Lindenwood to 60 and Sam Houston State to just 77 points. However, this is not only their first game on the road, but also their first against a worthy opponent. They aren’t shooting the ball lights out, which could cause a lot of problems in a hostile road environment. Do they have what it takes to win?

Illinois are a team that isn’t really on anybody’s radar this year (except for my own). This team has loads of talent all over the floor, and could be a defensive juggernaut as well. They scored 113 in both wins, holding Jackson State to 55 and Florida Gulf Coast to 70 in their wins. Illinois loves to run, and I see them speeding up the Red Raiders and getting them out of their comfort zone, daring them to keep up offensively.

Matchup Information – Texas Tech vs. Illinois – November 11

  • Venue & Location: State Farm Center (Champaign, IL)
  • Date: Tuesday, November 11, 2025
  • Kick Off: 8:30 p.m. Eastern
  • Broadcast: FS1

Texas Tech vs. Illinois Betting Odds

Odds are courtesy of BetOnline, one of our favorite online sportsbooks, as of November 11, 2025 at 9:43 a.m. eastern. Sign up today with Promo Code BNBOL55 for a 55% deposit bonus. BetOnline offers a wide variety of unique markets across nearly every sport imaginable.

Spread

  • Texas Tech +4 (-113)
  • Illinois -4 (-107)

Moneyline

  • Texas Tech +148
  • Illinois -168

Total

  • Over 166.5 (-113)
  • Under 166.5 (-107)

Looking at the advanced analytics, Greg Peterson only likes the Illini by a point and a half, while Bart Torvik has them winning by 10 and Haslametrics has the Illini by nine. I agree with the latter two, and will be backing the Illini at home.

#11 Texas Tech vs. #14 Illinois NCAA Basketball Picks and Predictions

Tomislav Ivisic teams up with his brother to lead the Illini front court - Texas Tech Illinois Picks

Tomislav Ivisic teams up with his brother to lead the Illini front court

Texas Tech vs. Illinois Prediction: Illinois Wins and Covers, Under 166.5

Best Bet: Illinois -4 (-107) BetOnline

Transparency as always, I was able to snag -3.5 last night, but I see a big Illini win tonight. They are actually one of my favorite teams to potentially surprise some people in the Big Ten, and maybe even make a run at the National Championship. However they will have their hands full tonight, but I think they are up for the challenge, especially at home.

We have two teams that play very opposite styles of basketball. Illinois saw 76 and 75 possessions in their first game and were able to put up 113 points in the process. That happens because they are incredibly efficient and fast, ranking No. 12 in terms of pace in the country. The Red Raiders had 77 and 70 possessions in their games, as they rank No. 230 in terms of pace.

Texas Tech shoots a ton of threes, and were 17/45 in their first games and 12/28 in their next. The Illini also shoot tons of threes, going 17/37 and then 11/31, but Illinois is better equipped to defend the perimeter. Our hosts are top 60 in 3P% defense, they are top 20 in free throw rate defense, and top 10 in offensive rebounds allowed.

There shouldn’t be any second chance points for the Red Raiders, and if they aren’t knocking down their threes early, this one could get ugly in favor of the Illini.

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