#24 Illinois vs #22 Nebraska: NCAA Football Predictions, Odds & Best Bets (9/20)

The Big Ten conference begins play this weekend, and they even get a nationally televised game on Friday Night to kick things off. Both teams have started off hot with 3 wins under their belt, but one will suffer their first loss of the season this weekend. After 3 straight wins, both teams find themselves ranked nationally, so we get a Top 25 Big Ten Showdown on Friday Night in Lincoln. The Illinois Fighting Illini come to town to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Like I said, both teams are off to a roaring start. Illinois took down EIU 45-0, upset then #22 Kansas at home, and handled business against Central Michigan last weekend. Is Luke Altmyer the truth? And is Illinois really a threat to other teams in the Big Ten? Surely those questions will be answered after they play their first road game of the season. And it won’t be an easy task at all.

Nebraska football looks to be back, and the rest of the Big Ten should take note. This team has knocked off Colorado in a dominant home win, and taken down UTEP and Northern Iowa as they should’ve. Both teams have a solid win already this season, but conference play is a different animal. No doubt we are in for a hell of a matchup, and I expect a fantastic game from both teams.

The hype surrounding Dylan Raiola seems to be real, as had has 5 TDs and just 1 INT on the year, with 3 wins and 670 passing yards to his name. Will the Illini keep their momentum rolling on the road? Or will the fans in Nebraska drown out the Illinois’ hopes and dreams?

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#24 Illinois vs #22 Nebraska: Big Ten Football Begins

Matchup Information – Illinois vs Nebraska

• Venue & Location: Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, NE)
• Date: Friday, September 20th, 2024
• Kick Off: 8:00pm Eastern
• Broadcast: FOX

Betting Odds

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Spread

• Illinois +7.5 (-110)
• Nebraska -7.5 (-110)

Money Line

• Illinois +255
• Nebraska -305

Total

• Over 42.5 (-110)
• Under 42.5 (-110)

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Can Big Red Keep Rolling in Big Ten Play?

It’s tough to hate this kid. What he’s doing on the football field is emulating another number 15 who wears red, and it truly is something special. But this weekend he faces the toughest defense to date. Illinois did a great job of taking Kansas QB Jalon Daniels out of his element, and making it harder to find his receivers. Daniels threw for just 141 yards and 3 INTs against Illinois, and he added 35 yards on the ground on 10 carries. He was forced to make plays with his legs, and Raiola is not up for that challenge in my opinion. The freshman is much more of a pocket passer, and while he will move to avoid the sack, you’re not going to catch this guy scrambling.

Cornhuskers Could Pound the Ground

He has just 6 official carries for 14 yards on the year, and but he hasn’t been slinging it a ton either. But that’s cause he hasn’t had to. Raiola has yet to hit 250 passing yards so far this season, and against the Illinois secondary, I don’t see it happening this week either. Sure, he will make some plays with his arm, but I think Matt Rhule hammers the ground in this game. The Illinois rushing defense is nothing compared to their secondary, meaning the way to beat them is in between the tackles. More on this later.

As for the Illinois offense, Altmyer hasn’t been half bad. He has 6 TDs this season with 0 interceptions and is completing 70% of his passes. However, he has to play on the road this weekend. Last season, Altmyer threw an interception in 3/4 road contests and watched his yardage drop slightly as well. He’s also been sacked 5 times in the past 2 games, and against a Nebraska front 7 that has 7 sacks already on the year (including 5 against Colorado), he could end up face down behind the line of scrimmage plenty.

Ultimately, I think the Cornhuskers roll. Illinois’s win against Kansas looks far less impressive than it did at the time (Sorry, Jayhawks), and I think Nebraska is the truth. I trust their offense much more than Illinois’, and at home, I’ve got to lean with their defense as well.

Illinois Fighting Illini vs Nebraska Cornhuskers Best Bets

Illinois vs Nebraska Prediction: Nebraska Wins & Covers

Best Bets: Dante Dowdell Over 48.5 Rushing Yards (-114) BetOnline

While I am betting on Nebraska (see bonus bet below), my favorite pick in this contest is this player prop. We are taking Nebraska RB Dante Dowdell to do something he’s done in all 3 games so far this season. Dowdell has made light work of opposing defenses, and he is dominating the carries in the Husker’s RB Room. Dowdell has 31 carries this season for 184 total yards. This lis 60 more yards and 9 more carries than their back up, so I’m confident Dowdell will be the go-to guy. It certainly seemed that way against Colorado, where Dowdell had 17 carries, more than double the next closest rusher.

Dowdell is running for 6 yards per carry this season clearing 55+ yards in all 3 contests. He’s not a receiving back, so he won’t waste much energy running routes. He’s busted a 12+ yard rush in every contest, and I expect plenty of touches this weekend. Ultimately, I think Nebraska is going to run all over Illinois. I think they dominate from start to finish, never letting their foot off the gas. The Husker’s defense is definitely going to make it difficult on the Illini, and I’m not sure how confident I am in Illinois being able to stop the run.

This line is a number Dowdell could cash in as little as 6 carries, which he did last game. Give him 10 carries, easy money, 12 carries, no problem, 15 carries? Game over. Dowdell is going to eat on Friday Night at home, just like the rest of the Huskers, so don’t be scared of a hook when Nebraska is winning by double digits. Go Big Red!

Bonus Bets: Nebraska -7.5 (-115) BetOnline

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