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Illinois vs. Penn Preview: How to Watch, Injury Report & Odds
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- Illinois vs. Penn Preview: How to Watch, Injury Report & Odds
Illinois kicked off its season on Monday night with a blowout win over Fairleigh Dickinson inside the State Farm Center. It was never much of a game, as Illinois led 67-20 at halftime and eventually won by 75 points. A 120-45 victory on opening night is exactly what Illinois was looking for to begin the 2026-27 campaign, and another win is expected on Thursday night.
The Illini will host the Penn Quakers on Thursday night for their second game of the season. This matchup will be a rematch of last season's NCAA Tournament Round of 64 game. Penn won the Ivy League to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament but was unable to keep things close against Illinois in the opening-round matchup. Illinois won 105-70 to advance to the second round, and a similar result is expected on Thursday night.
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Penn enters the season as the preseason favorite to win the Ivy League in year two under head coach Fran McCaffery, but the Quakers will likely be outmatched by Illinois' talent. KenPom currently projects Illinois to beat Penn 92-69 and cruise to another victory despite the injuries the Illini are dealing with.
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David Mirkovic will be sidelined again on Thursday night as he continues to deal with a foot injury and recover from a recent appendectomy. He was not in the building on Monday night while dealing with an illness and was away from the team, so it remains unknown whether he will be in attendance for Thursday's game. Jake Davis will also be out for the Illini with a shoulder injury. Davis injured his shoulder early in the game against FDU and required surgery, which will keep him out indefinitely.
Penn went 18-12 last season and is expected to improve this year, with senior forward TJ Power leading the way. Power is a former five-star prospect and should be one of the best players in the Ivy League this season. He played his freshman season at Duke before finally finding his stride with Penn last year, earning First Team All-Ivy League honors. He will be the main focus of the Illini defense after averaging 16.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game last season.
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Here's everything you need to know before the Illinois Fighting Illini host the Penn Quakers on Thursday night:
How to Watch
Penn Quakers (0-0) at No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini (1-0)
Location: State Farm Center | Champaign, Ill.
Tipoff: Thursday, Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m. CT
TV: FS1
Betting Odds (FanDuel Sportsbook)
Betting Line: Illinois -29.5
Over/Under: 164.5
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Injury Report
Illinois Fighting Illini
F David Mirkovic: Out (Foot Injury/Appendectomy)
F Jake Davis: Out (Shoulder)
Penn Quakers
Ryan Alman: Questionable
