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Illinois vs. Duke live stream: Betting odds, TV channel, prediction

By Mike Phillips

CHAMPAIGN, IL - NOVEMBER 27: Kofi Cockburn #21 of the Illinois Fighting Illini protests a call during the game against the Ohio Bobcats at State Farm Center on November 27, 2020 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - NOVEMBER 27: Kofi Cockburn #21 of the Illinois Fighting Illini protests a call during the game against the Ohio Bobcats at State Farm Center on November 27, 2020 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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Duke is looking for a big win against Illinois in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

The Big Ten/ACC Challenge has a lot of great games but the crown jewel will take place at Cameron Indoor Stadium tonight. Two top ten teams will take the floor as No. 6 Illinois and No. 10 Duke each look to snag a signature victory in non-conference play.

The Blue Devils are hosting a Big Ten foe for the second week in a row after falling to Michigan State in the Champions Classic. Mike Krzyzewski‘s young team was extremely inconsistent in that game, getting poor performances from their fabulous freshmen, who struggled to match the depth and experience that Michigan State brought to the contest.

Duke now has to deal with a team that might be more talented than the Spartans in Illinois, who some experts believe is a Final Four contender this season. The Fighting Illini are 3-1 on the young season, with the lone defeat coming against No. 2 Baylor in the Jimmy V Classic, and they possess the two most accomplished players on the floor in Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn.

The pair each bypassed the NBA Draft to return to school and haven’t missed a beat. Dosunmu leads the Illini in scoring, averaging 23.8 points per game, while Cockburn nearly averages a double-double with 13.0 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.

The key to this game will be which version of Duke shows up for the game. The Blue Devils dominated the first five minutes of their matchup with the Spartans but couldn’t put a complete effort together for the rest of the game, resulting in their loss. Illinois has to be careful not to let Duke get going or it could be a long night for the visitors.

How to watch and bet on Illinois at Duke

  • Date: Tuesday, Dec. 8
  • Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
  • Location: Durham, NC
  • Venue: Cameron Indoor Stadium
  • TV: ESPN
  • Live Stream: WatchESPN
  • Line: Duke -4 (OddsShark)
  • Prediction: Illinois 78, Duke 74

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