A major opportunity comes in Nashville for two ranked teams to bounce back from recent shortcomings and solidify their nonconference slates. Both Illinois and Tennessee entered the season with high expectations and hope to build future success off their performances here, a matchup that we’ve seen each of the last two seasons.
There might be more desperation for Illinois (6-2), as the Fighting Illini have lost their last two big opportunities, falling against Alabama and UConn in recent weeks. What stings even more for Brad Underwood’s group is that Tennessee has gotten the better of them each of these last two seasons. Illinois’s talented crew built on international talent really needs a prime performance to prove that they are one of the best teams in the Big Ten and perhaps the nation.
Riding their own waves of disappointment, Tennessee (7-2) has now dropped back-to-back games and is desperate to avoid a third straight loss. They had a marvelous win over Houston on day two of the Players Era Festival, but then lost a close battle to Kansas on day three and were upended at Syracuse as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge earlier this week. Another strong showing against Illinois would get Rick Barnes’ team back on track.
Illinois vs. Tennessee: When and Where
Date: Saturday, December 6, 2025, 8:00 pm ET
Location: Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee
Illinois vs. Tennessee: Where to Watch or Stream
Watch: ESPN
Streaming: FuboTV
Illinois vs. Tennessee: Betting Odds
Spread: Tennessee Volunteers -2.5, Illinois Fighting Illini
Moneyline: Tennessee Volunteers -125, Illinois Fighting Illini +105
Total: 150.5
Illinois vs. Tennessee: Series History
All time series: Tennessee leads 4-1
Last meeting: Tennessee 66, Illinois 64 (December 14, 2024)
Projected Starting Lineups
Illinois Fighting Illini
Kylan Boswell (17.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.9 apg)
David Mirkovic (14.3 ppg, 10.0 rpg)
Andrej Stojakovic (16.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg)
Keaton Wagler (13.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg)
Tomislav Ivisic (10.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg)
Tennessee Volunteers
Ja’Kobi Gillespie (17.6 ppg, 5.4 apg)
Nate Ament (17.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg)
Felix Okpara (8.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg)
Cade Phillips (4.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
Bishop Boswell (5.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg)
These are two deep lineups with playmaking ability spread throughout. The Fighting Illini are finally getting healthy with their entire lineup available, as the offense has looked more solid when Stojakovic and both Ivisic’s are out there. Let’s not ignore what the Volunteers have accomplished, as that’s a strong unit led by an incredible freshman in Ament and a strong transfer point guard in Gillespie. Both teams are eager to avoid an early December slide but only one can be successful.
Does Illinois have what it takes to finally overcome the Volunteers and get a big win in Nashville on Saturday night? Could we see Tennessee claw back after their toughest game of the season and avoid an ugly three-game slide?