No. 10 Illinois Faces UCLA in Saturday Showdown

LOS ANGELES – The No. 10 Illinois Fighting Illini (22-5, 13-3 Big Ten) travel to Pauley Pavilion on Saturday, February 21, 2026, to take on the UCLA Bruins (17-9, 9-6 Big Ten) in a key conference matchup. The game is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on FOX and streamed on FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App.

Betting Odds and Insights

Illinois is currently favored by 6.5 points, with the over/under set at 146.5 points, according to odds provided by ESPN here. The implied score, based on the spread and over/under, is Illinois 76, UCLA 70.

Illinois has a 76.3% implied probability of winning the game based on the moneyline, while UCLA has a 28.5% implied probability. Illinois is -322 on the moneyline, and UCLA is +251.

Recent Performance

Illinois is coming off a dominant 101-65 victory over USC on Wednesday, their largest Big Ten road win in 80 years according to CBS Sports. Andrej Stojakovic returned from a two-game absence due to an ankle injury and scored 22 points in that game as reported by the Associated Press.

UCLA, however, has struggled recently, losing both games on a road trip to Michigan and Michigan State by an average of 26.5 points. Despite their recent struggles, the Bruins boast a strong 14-1 record at home .

Key Players

Illinois:

• Keaton Wagler: 18.1 points per game, 4.3 assists
• Andrej Stojakovic: 14.0 points per game
• David Mirkovic: 13.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game

UCLA:

• Tyler Bilodeau: 18.1 points per game
• Donovan Dent: 13.2 points and 6.9 assists per game
• Skyy Clark: 13.1 points per game

Team Statistics Comparison

Looking Ahead

Illinois will look to continue their strong performance on the road, while UCLA aims to regain their form at home. This matchup promises to be a competitive contest between two strong Big Ten teams.