This article is part of our College Football Picks series.
College Football Best Bets: Illinois vs. Nebraska Odds, Picks and Predictions
There is a game this week between two ranked, undefeated Big Ten teams, and it isn't Michigan versus USC. Instead, both Nebraska and Illinois find themselves ranked after 3-0 starts and primed for a Friday-night showcase.
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Illinois vs. Nebraska Betting Odds
Spread: Nebraska -7.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook), Illinois +8.5 (BetMGM Sportsbook)
Total: 43.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook), 42.5 (BetMGM Sportsbook)
Moneyline: Nebraska -320 (FanDuel Sportsbook), Illinois +270 (BetMGM Sportsbook)
Well, both of these teams are 3-0, but the oddsmakers believe more in the Cornhuskers than the Illini, clearly. You can take Illinois and get more than a touchdown, but the question here is if you want to.
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Nebraska vs. Illinois Betting Picks
Both Matt Rhule and Bret Bielema know how to build programs, and this is the year it was expecting Rhule would finally get Nebraska to take some real strides. The Huskers have beaten the competition definitively, but the best win of the season for either of these teams is Illinois beating Kansas. At present, SP+ is definitely higher on Nebraska than Illinois. Rhule's team ranks 24th, but Bielema's program is 46th.
Notably, Illinois ranks higher in SP+ offensively and on special teams. Even with Dylan Raiola, the vaunted freshman quarterback, Nebraska ranks 91st offensively. However, it ranks a robust third in defensive SP+. Illinois' highest ranking is also its defense, which ranks 30th. Raiola is getting his biggest challenge so far. So is Illinois' offense. That has me envisioning a low-scoring affair.
Nebraska vs. Illinois Best Bet: Under 43.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
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Illinois vs. Nebraska Predictions
Two below-average offenses meet two above-average defenses. Raiola has been good, and the Nebraska offense makes it easy on him, as he's completed 73.8 percent of his passes and averaged 223.3 passing yards per game. I certainly don't see either team hitting 30 points, and I expect one, or both, teams to fall below 20. Nebraska's "Blackshirts" defense may be back. I do believe the Cornhuskers will win, but I also don't envision any version of this game that sees one of these offenses lighting up the scoreboard.
