Illinois vs Duke Odds, Props & Predictions for Saturday CFB (Sep. 6)

• Illinois meets Duke in Week 2 CFB action
• The Fighting Illini are 5-0 SU & ATS in their last five games
• Find the Illinois vs Duke odds, props and predictions for Saturday CFB below

The No.11 Illinois Fighting Illini meet the Duke Blue Devils in Week 2 of the college football season on Saturday, September 6th. Illinois will aim to continue its romp towards a College Football Playoff spot after demolishing Western Illinois 52-3, while Duke blew out Elon 45-17 in Week 1.

Look for my best Illinois vs Duke props and predictions below.

Illinois vs Duke Odds

Illinois are 2.5-point favorites in the college football odds. The total for Illinois vs Duke is sitting at 49.5 points, with -110 odds on both the over and under.

Bettors are all over the Fighting Illini in the college football public betting splits as 80% of the moneyline and 75% of the spread wagers are on Illinois.

Odds as of September 5th at FanDuel. Check out the best college football betting apps for Illinois vs Duke.

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Illinois vs Duke Betting Trends

Make no mistake, this Duke squad was an elite defensive team last season. The Blue Devils boast one of the very best cornerbacks in the country in Chandler Rivers and finished 10th in the nation in EPA per play and seventh in yards per allowed. Head coach Manny Diaz loves to send extra pass-rushers and blitz all game long. In fact, Duke sends an extra man on about 40% of defensive snaps.

On the flip side, Illinois struggles against the blitz, allowing pressure on over 46% of snaps last season. Additionally, the Fighting Illini are without their top two receivers from last year in Pat Bryant and Zakhari Franklin, after losing both to the NFL.

To make matters worse, Diaz knows Illinois starting quarterback Luke Altmyer well, as he blitzed him relentlessly as the Penn State defensive coordinator two seasons ago, causing four interceptions.

Defensively, Illinois grades out well in coverage (26th) and EPA per pass allowed (19th), which points towards this game devolving into a defensive showdown. It’s also important to note that the Fighting Illini are just 3-7 SU and 4-6 ATS with a spread of +3 to -3 under head coach Bret Bielema.

Illinois vs Duke Prediction

With two outstanding defenses on display in this underrated Illinois vs Duke clash, I’m rolling with the under 49.5.

• Illinois vs Duke Prediction: Under 49.5 (-110 at Caesars)

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Illinois vs Duke Props

Illinois running back Aidan Laughery has crossed the 50-yard mark in only six of his last 12 games played. In fact, Laughery has only hit double-digits in carries in five of those contests, as the Fighting Illini lean on a run-by-committee approach.

The Duke front seven has been an elite unit in Manny Diaz’s time in Durham, as the Blue Devils finished 11th in the nation in EPA allowed per rush in 2024, while allowing a rushing success rate of 39%. Remember, Diaz loves to send extra blitzers against both the run and pass, so don’t expect Laughery to find my daylight. Fade Aidan Laughery with my under 50.5 rushing yards Illinois vs Duke prop pick.

Meanwhile, we already have the data that Altmyer both struggles against the blitz and against Diaz’s defensive scheme. Altmyer finished 102nd in PFF passing grade when blitzed a year ago, and without his top-two receivers from 2024, it’s unlikely that changes against Duke.

Expect to see Diaz blitz the Illini quarterback into submission, and the Blue Devils’ elite secondary keep the Illinois passing game in check. Play Luke Altmyer under 215.5 passing yards on Saturday.