Ted Cruz is looking to build on his victory in the Iowa caucuses ahead of the New Hampshire primary election.
Controversial billionaire Donald Trump is trying to mount a comeback after his second place finish in Iowa.
Marco Rubio came third in Iowa and is seen as a rising force, leading many of his rivals to question his credentials.
The other debaters are former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Ohio Governor John Kasich and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson.
The results of Tuesday's New Hampshire primary are expected to determine whether or not some of the Republican candidates drop out.
The results of Tuesday's New Hampshire primary are expected to determine whether or not some of the Republican candidates drop out.
Donald Trump is back on the debate stage. Ted Cruz is coming off victory in the Iowa caucuses. But the man who may have the biggest target on his back tonight is Marco Rubio.
Thanks to his surprisingly strong, third-place finish in Iowa on Monday, the Florida senator is climbing in the polls and drawing sizeable crowds at his numerous campaign stops in New Hampshire. He's vying for mainstream establishment Republican support here - and if he's successful, it will come at the expense of fellow candidates Jeb Bush, Chris Christie and John Kasich.
If those three finish behind Mr Rubio on Tuesday, it will grievously wound their candidacies. The campaign donations likely will dry up, and the trickle of big-name endorsements coming in for Mr Rubio will become a flood.
So expect the attacks directed Mr Rubio to come thick and fast. As Mr Christie said on Friday, the goal is to knock the "boy in the bubble" off his perch.
The Iowa caucuses narrowed the field, with Kentucky Senator Rand Paul and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum withdrawing from the race after the results were announced.
ABC News, which is hosting the debate in Manchester, New Hampshire, has dropped an undercard event for low-polling candidates, leaving former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina as the only remaining candidate without a spot on stage.
The only woman candidate in the Republican field released an open letter describing the debate process as "broken."
Mr Trump boycotted the final TV debate before the Iowa caucuses, and later demanded a re-run of the state vote after reports that supporters of Mr Cruz, a Texas senator, had told caucus-goers that Mr Carson was dropping out of the race.
The Cruz campaign later apologised to Mr Carson, saying it was a misunderstanding.
Voters will make their choice in both the Republican and Democratic races in New Hampshire on Tuesday.
More on the race for the White House
- Why are Americans so angry? The underlying forces that explain rise of Trump, Cruz and Sanders
- American exceptionalism in a time of American malaise How a phrase that once evoked glory now provokes derision
- Winners and losers after Iowa vote: How Republican Senator Marco Rubio placed third but still won
- How does a US election work? If you want to be president, it helps to be governor, senator, or five-star military general - and have lots of patience
- Special report: The BBC's full coverage of the race to the White House
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