Madison Square Garden - New York, NY
Tip-off: Tuesday, 9:00 p.m.
Line: Villanova -4.5

No. 7 Villanova looks to remain undefeated on the season when it clashes with Illinois in the Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday night in New York City.

The Wildcats (5-1-1 ATS) are looking to move to 9-0 on the season, and they have been very impressive in their wins. Villanova has two victories against Top 25 teams, and has won all but two of its games by at least 11 points. A key in Tuesday's matchup will be whether or not the defense of Illinois (4-2 ATS) can slow down the Villanova offense. The Wildcats are 13-4 ATS over the past three seasons when scoring 67 to 74 points, while Illinois is 3-12 ATS when allowing 67 to 74 points in its past three seasons. Jay Wright has also gotten his team to play its best basketball against the top competition, as the Wildcats are 21-8 ATS against teams with a winning record over the past two seasons. Illinois is coming off an NIT season, but has shown some early improvements as it tries to get back to the NCAA Tournament. The Illini's lone loss this season was on the road against then-No. 15 Miami, a game they were in until the final minutes. During his time as the Illinois head coach, John Groce has done a great job of having his team play well in neutral court games, going 13-4 ATS.

Which school will prevail at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night? For the latest college basketball picks, check out The Platinum Sheet for all the Expert picks. The experts have begun the 2014-15 season with a bang, posting a collective 57% ATS mark (57-43) in Best Bets. The five experts are led by StatFox Gary's stellar 75% ATS mark (15-5), while StatFox Brian and StatFox Zach are both 60% ATS (12-8) to open the season.

Illinois was very bad last season on offense (64.2 PPG), but has made incredible strides this season, by ranking 15th in the country in scoring (83.9 PPG). The team also ranks 87th in the nation in shooting (46.1% FG) and 92nd in passing (14.4 APG). Rayvonte Rice (17.4 PPG, 7.3 RPG) has built off a strong junior campaign, and his stats have risen in every statistical category this season. He has especially improved on his jump shot, as he has improved from 30% threes last season to 47% this season. At 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, he is a very difficult matchup for opposing guards because of his strength. If he can continue to hit the outside shot, he will remain very difficult to guard. The Fighting Illini as a team are shooting the ball well from deep this year, as they are connecting on 40% of their three-point attempts. Malcolm Hill (13.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 46% threes) did not see the floor a lot as a freshman, but has emerged into one of the better scorers on the team. John Groce’s team has done a nice job of protecting the basketball, as the Fighting Illini turn the ball over only nine times per game.

Villanova is an experienced team that has played a lot of big games together, and does a great job of sharing the ball (15.8 APG, 47th in nation). The Wildcats also rank 64th in the nation in scoring (75.4 PPG) and 68th in shooting (47% FG). There may not be that guy on the Wildcats who jumps off the stat page, but this is a balanced team that can get scoring from anywhere on the court. Seven players average at least 7.6 PPG, with Dylan Ennis (12.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 46% threes) leading the way. He has taken advantage of extended minutes on the floor, giving head coach Jay Wright a guy who can make plays. The unquestioned leader of this team is JayVaughn Pinkston (8.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG), who showed against Michigan that he is able to win a game for his team in many different ways. The Wolverines appeared to be making a layup in the final seconds for the win, but Pinkston blocked a shot at the rim to help secure the victory. Senior Darrun Hilliard (10.5 PPG, 2.4 APG. 2.3 RPG) has not duplicated his great junior season when he averaged 14.3 PPG, 3.6 RPG and 2.6 APG, but he seems to be heating up, averaging 14 points over the past two games. He is a talented scorer, who is similar to some of coach Wright’s top point guards in the past few seasons.