KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Grab a second plate of turkey or dessert and head straight for the television. Arkansas basketball has a marquee showdown with a regional rival this Thanksgiving.
The No. 21 Razorbacks (5-1) will face Illinois this afternoon in a neutral-site game at Kansas City’s T-Mobile Center. This will be Arkansas’ second chance to snag a resume-building win on the non-conference schedule, coming up short in a 72-67 loss to Baylor during the opening week.
The Hogs are coming off a 109-35 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore. Seven players scored more than 10 points on a night Trevon Brazile returned from injury.
Illinois played the Hawks earlier this year and won 87-40. In their last game, the Illini cruised to a 92-34 victory over Little Rock.
Below are live updates, highlights and other notes from Arkansas basketball’s seventh game of the season.
Watch Arkansas basketball vs Illinois on FUBO (free trial)
Arkansas basketball vs Illinois score updates
This section will be updated throughout the game.
Second Half
- Arkansas is working hard to get back in this game, but the Illini’s 27-point advantage from 3 is proving very difficult to overcome.
- The teams are going punch-for-punch here in the second half, but Arkansas still trails by double digits thanks to the awful first 10 minutes. Adou Thiero has been a monster today for Arkansas, relentlessly attacking the basket and getting to the free-throw line. He leads the Razorbacks with 16 points.
- The Arkansas offense looks much better to start the second half, but its still struggling to get stops. Zvonimir Ivisic has a pair of 3-pointers since halftime, and Boogie Fland is heading to the free throw line when we resume.
First Half
Arkansas did not make a 3-pointer in the first half, while Illinois went 9 of 16 from downtown. Again, it’s nearly impossible to win with that math working against the Hogs. This has been a disappointing performance against a marquee opponent.
- Billy Richmond continues to have an excellent game, just now finishing a layup in transition while getting fouled to trim the deficit. Richmond leads Arkansas with eight points and has been doing the little things all afternoon.
- Arkansas just isn’t making enough shots to mount a significant comeback at the moment. The Hogs are 0 for 7 from 3 and still don’t have a point from Johnell Davis or Adou Thiero.
- A normally stout Arkansas defense has no answers for Illinois at the moment, and John Calipari calls timeout after a 3-pointer by Ben Humrichous. Illinois is 5 of 8 from downtown and has a 15-point advantage.
- Arkansas has no rhythm on offense, while the Illini have made a trio of 3-pointers for an early lead. This feels like the start to the Baylor game, which was too big of a deficit to overcome for the Hogs.
Pregame
- Even with Aidoo back, it’ll be DJ Wagner, Boogie Fland, Johnell Davis, Adou Thiero and Zvonimir Ivisc as the first five for Arkansas. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:17 p.m.
- Jonas Aidoo is dressed and going through some stretching with the other Arkansas big men. Trevon Brazile is doing the same, and Arkansas appears to have its full compliment of players for today’s game versus Illinois.
What time does Arkansas vs Illinois play today?
- Date: Thursday, Nov. 28
- Time: 3 p.m. CT
- Location: Kansas City, Mo.
What channel is Arkansas vs Illinois game on today?
Arkansas vs Illinois live stream options
Arkansas vs. Illinois will broadcast on CBS, immediately following the NFL game between the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears. The matchup can also be streamed with subscriptions to FUBO, which has the option for a free trial, and Paramount+, is CBS’ streaming service.
Arkansas vs Illinois prediction
Arkansas 82, Illinois 75. It’s been a weird start to the season for Arkansas, but the Hogs’ defense has been a consistent strength. They’ll limit Illinois from 3 and leave Kansas City with a good win to kick off a four-game stretch against solid competition.
Arkansas vs Illinois betting odds
Game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Thursday morning:
- Spread: Arkansas -3.5
- Over/under: 154.5
- Moneyline: Arkansas -150
Arkansas basketball schedule
Record: 5-1
(Next five games)
- Illinois (Kansas City), Nov. 28
- at Miami, Dec. 3
- UTSA, Dec. 7
- Michigan (New York), Dec. 10
- Central Arkansas (Little Rock), Dec. 14
Illinois basketball schedule
Record: 5-1
(Next five games)
- Arkansas (Kansas City), Nov. 28
- at Northwestern, Dec. 6
- Wisconsin, Dec. 10
- Tennessee, Dec. 14
- Missouri (St. Louis), Dec. 22
Arkansas basketball news
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