First-year Arkansas coach John Calipari will lead the No. 19 Razorbacks as they face Illinois on Thanksgiving Day in Kansas City, Missouri, in a premiere nonconference showdown in the first edition of the CBS Sports Thanksgiving Classic. Thursday will mark the seventh meeting between the programs, with Illinois leading the all-time series 5-1. Arkansas’ lone win of the series came in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2023.
Arkansas is off to a 5-1 start under Calipaari. The Razorbacks are coming off a 109-35 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore earlier this week for their fourth straight win. The 74-point win was the third-largest margin of victory in program history and the first time Arkansas held an opponent to 35 or fewer points since 2005. Arkansas has won four of its last five games against Big Ten opponents.
Illinois is coming off a 92-34 win over Little Rock to improve to 5-1. The Fighting Illini have won their last two games since suffering a 100-87 loss to Alabama. Illinois is coming off its best season in nearly two decades after reaching the Elite Eight for the first time since 2005.
Here is everything you need to know before Illinois plays Arkansas on Thanksgiving Day.
How to watch Arkansas vs. Illinois live
Date: Thursday, Nov. 28 | Time: 4 p.m. ET
Location: T-Mobile Center — Kansas City, Missouri
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
Streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime (Try It Free)
Arkansas vs. Illinois prediction, picks
All odds via BetMGM. Check out the latest BetMGM promo code to get in the game.
Illinois, favored by 2.5 points by sports betting experts, has a 3-7 record against SEC teams under coach Brad Underwood and a 24-36 mark when facing a ranked opponent. This will be Arkansas’ biggest test since losing to Baylor earlier this month, and this is an opportunity for Caliapri to notch his biggest win (thus far) at the school. Arkansas wins this game in a high-scoring affair. Pick: Arkansas +2.5
