Wyoming vs. Illinois Prediction, Picks & Odds: Fighting Illini Heavy Favorites in Home Opener

The Wyoming Cowboys and Illinois Fighting Illini will do battle in the season opener. on Saturday afternoon. The Illini are coming off of a rougher season, finishing at 5-7. The Cowboys had a better season, finishing at 7-6 and winning the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

One downfall for the Cowboys was their divisional play. They finished at 2-6 in the Mountain West, but did pull off a big upset over #24 Utah State at the end of the season.

Illinois was better in divisional play, posting a 4-5 record against the Big 10. They missed out on a bowl game, but did pull off wins against Penn State, Minnesota, and Northwestern.

Illinois is expected to be better this season, and it shows in the lines. They are. very hevy favorites on Saturday against Wyoming.

Wyoming vs. Illinois Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Wyoming Cowboys (0-0, 0-0 Mountain West) vs. Illinois Fighting Illini (0-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
• Venue & Location: Memorial Stadium (Champaign, Illinois)
• Date: Saturday, August 27, 2022
• Game Time: 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time
• Wyoming vs. Illinois TV Info: Big Ten Network

Wyoming vs. Illinois Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Wyoming Cowboys +10.5 (-110)
• Illinois Fighting Illini -10.5 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 43.5 (-120)
• Under 43.5 (+100)

Moneyline

• Wyoming Cowboys +360
• Illinois Fighting Illini -490

First Meeting Between the Two Teams

The history of both football programs dates back to the 1890s. However, these two teams have never met each other on the football field. Illinois has the better all-time record at 619-613-50. Wyoming is at 549-589-28.

If we are comparing seasons, Illinois has had more overall success. However, in the past few years, they have taken a step backwards and struggled with their football program.

Illinois is 13-20 over the past 3 seasons. Of those 13 wins, 10 have come against Big Ten opponents. They struggle against non-conference teams, but as I said, they are expected to be better this season.

Wyoming is 17-15 over the past three seasons, and only 8 of those wins were against the Mountain West. They have actually played better out of conference over the last few years.

The Illini are the better team this season, as they have the 63rd best recruiting class. Wyoming is near the bottom in the country at 108th. Illinois is not great on the Power Index at -1.8 but they are much better than Wyoming at -7.5.

The Big Ten is the better conference, and Illinois is still expected to finish near the bottom of that conference. Wyoming is also expected to finish near the bottom of their conference, as the Mountain West has grown stronger.

Wyoming vs. Illinois Betting Trends

• The favorite has covered the spread in each of the last 4 Illinois games at Memorial Stadium
• Illinois’ last 6 home openers have gone Under the total points line
• These two teams have never played each other on the football field

Wyoming vs. Illinois Prediction and Picks

Wyoming vs. Illinois Prediction: Illinois 17, Wyoming 10

Wyoming vs. Illinois Best Bets: Under 43.5 total points (+100 at BetOnline Sportsbook)

In the first game of the season, expect the offenses to be a bit rusty. Especially since both teams are without any outlying stars in the preseason.

The Under is the only bet with any value between these two teams. Illinois being a heavy favorite will not give you return on investment, and Wyoming is too much of a risk to bet outright.

The score should be low between the two teams. As stated, it is the first game for both of them, and it will take a few drives to gain momentum. Before the value goes away, make sure to look into an Under bet for this matchup.

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