Illinois Fighting Illini (3-0) vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-0)
September 20, 2024 8:00 pm EDT
The Line: Nebraska Cornhuskers -8 / Illinois Fighting Illini +8; Over/Under: +46.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Illinois Fighting Illini and the Nebraska Cornhuskers meet Friday in college football action from Memorial Stadium Lincoln. Here’s a Nebraska vs Illinois prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Nebraska vs Illinois pick.
Illinois Fighting Illini Betting Preview
Illinois got off to a pretty nice start over their first couple of games. In the opener, the Illini took out Eastern Illinois 45-0 in a blowout. In game two Illinois took on Kansas, scoring 10 points in both the second and fourth quarters for a dramatic win 23-17.
In game three versus Central Michigan, the Illini held a 13-6 lead by halftime. After a 17-3 run from there Illinois had a 30-9 win. QB Luke Altmyer posted 242 yards with two TDs. Both scores went to Pat Bryant who finished on 102 yards and seven catches.
Nebraska Cornhuskers Betting Preview
Over on the Nebraska side, they cruised to a blowout victory in their opener as well. That one was a 40-7 finish versus an overwhelmed UTEP squad. The Cornhuskers kept it rolling on September 7 in game two with a 28-10 victory over Colorado.
Matched up against Northern Iowa last weekend, the Cornhuskers didn’t have any issues. Nebraska was up 21-3 by halftime and rolled to the win 34-3. QB Dylan Raiola posted 247 yards and two scores with a pick. Jaylen Lloyd led the receivers with one 59-yard catch.
Why the Nebraska Cornhuskers will win
- Illinois has lost 32 of its last 35 games against AP-ranked teams.
- The home team has won five of Illinois’ last six games.
- Illinois has failed to cover the spread in each of its last five road openers.
- The favorite has covered the spread in four of Nebraska’s last five games at Memorial Stadium.
- Illinois has lost the first half in three of its last four games against conference opponents.
Why the Illinois Fighting Illini will win
- Nebraska has lost each of its last 24 games against AP-ranked teams.
- The underdog has won three of the last four games between Illinois and Nebraska.
- Nebraska has failed to cover the spread in each of its last seven games against AP-ranked teams.
- Illinois has covered the spread in seven of its last eight road games against conference opponents.
- Illinois has won the first quarter in four of its last five games against conference opponents.
Total Points Facts
- Each of Illinois’ last seven September games as an underdog has gone UNDER the total points line.
- Each of Nebraska’s last six games as a home favorite has gone UNDER the total points line.
Nebraska vs Illinois Prediction
I was going to stick with Nebraska, but after seeing the line I think Illinois can get in there. This should be a pretty fun matchup, though. Both teams are coming off easy wins. The Cornhuskers notched 423 yards (281 passing), 8.8 yards per play, and 22 first downs versus Northern Iowa. Defensively Nebraska held the opposition to 301 yards (162 passing) and 6-of-16 on third-down tries. That makes 28 or more points in all three games so far.
As for Illinois, they had 379 yards (242 passing) versus Central Michigan. The only real blemish for the Illini in that one was 10 penalties for 81 yards. Illinois has 30 or more points in two of three games themselves. This weekend’s matchup should be very interesting, but I like Illinois to power out the road cover.
