| MATCHUP | Illinois Fighting Illini | UCLA Bruins |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 22-5 | 17-9 |
| Where | Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA | |
| When | Saturday, February 21, 2026 | |
| Time | 08:00 PM EST | |
| TV | FOX | |
The Illinois Fighting Illini and the UCLA Bruins meet Saturday in college basketball action from Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles. Here’s an Illinois vs UCLA prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Illinois vs UCLA pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.
Illinois Fighting Illini Betting Preview
Illinois managed to win eight of their first 11 games to start the season. The Illini then posted a winning run over Missouri, Southern, Penn State, Rutgers, Iowa, Northwestern, Minnesota, Maryland, Purdue, Washington, Nebraska and Northwestern ahead of losses to Michigan State and Wisconsin. After beating Indiana at home last weekend, Illinois had a 21-5 record in 26 games.
In game 27 versus USC on Wednesday, the Illini didn’t have too many issues. After a 54-32 advantage in the first half, Illinois hit a 47-33 run the rest of the way during a 101-65 blowout victory on the road. Leading the team in scoring was Andrej Stojakovic with 22 points and three rebounds. David Mirkovic added 14 points with four assists and three boards.
UCLA Bruins Betting Preview
Over on the UCLA side, they were 10-3 after their first 13 games, but then lost to Iowa, Wisconsin and Ohio State over the next five outings. A 5-1 run came next with wins over Purdue, Northwestern, Oregon, Rutgers and Washington. Since then it’s been a pair of consecutive losses to Michigan and Michigan State, giving the Bruins a 17-9 record in 26 games.
Matched up against Michigan State on Tuesday, the Bruins went into the second half with a 20-point deficit 43-23. UCLA didn’t get any closer than that on a 39-36 disadvantage the rest of the way, eventually leading to an 82-59 blowout loss on the road. Tops in scoring during the defeat was Tyler Bilodeau with 22 points and six rebounds. Skyy Clark added 12 points in 21 minutes.
Illinois Fighting Illini @ UCLA Bruins Betting Trends: February 21, 2026
Why the UCLA Bruins will win
- UCLA has won 14 of its last 15 games at Edwin W. Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescon when playing with a rest advantage.
Why the Illinois Fighting Illini will win
- Illinois has won each of its last eight games when playing with a rest disadvantage.
- UCLA has lost each of its last four day games against Top 10 AP-ranked opponents.
- UCLA has lost the first half in five of its last six day games against AP-ranked opponents.
Illinois vs UCLA Prediction
I’ll take a stab on UCLA but you could certainly argue it the other way. The Bruins got demolished on the road versus a very good Michigan State team, giving up 52.7 percent shooting while posting just 36.8 percent themselves. The Bruins were out-rebounded 34-26 but stayed competitive in the paint. UCLA is sitting on consecutive losses to ranked teams in Michigan and Michigan State (both on the road), so they’ll need a big home push here.
As for Illinois, they demolished an overmatched USC team in a road win this week. Seven different players finished in double-figures. As a team the Illini shot 51.6 percent from the filed with a 35-30 rebounding edge and held the Trojans to just 37.1 percent shooting on defense. Illinois is looking good in their last two wins and they’re scoring great this year. UCLA is going to have to be sharp in order to cover.