Nebraska vs Illinois Odds, Spread and Picks

• Nebraska is a 7-point road favorite over Illinois on Saturday (August 28th, 1 pm ET)
• The Cornhuskers have averaged 557 yards and 40 points per game versus the Fighting Illini during Scott Frost’s first three seasons
• Read below for odds, analysis and a betting prediction

College Football is back. Week 0 of the FBS schedule officially gets underway Saturday (August 28th) in Champaign, Illinois, as the Fighting Illini host the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Kick-off is set for 1 pm ET at Memorial Stadium, while the game will be featured nationwide on Fox.

Nebraska vs Illinois Odds

Odds as of August 25th at DraftKings.

Nebraska opened up as a 7.5-point favorite, but that number has moved slightly in Illinois’ favor. The game features a total of 55, up half a point from the opener, while the betting action on both the spread and total have been completely one sided. 87% of the spread bets are currently on Illinois, while 72% of the tickets are on the under.

Big Red Puts Up Big Numbers Versus Illinois

Much like the betting action, this series has been a one sided affair. Nebraska is 13-4-1 all-time versus Illinois, including 6-2 as Big Ten Foes. The Cornhuskers have won four of the past five meetings, and have put up some very gaudy numbers under head coach Scott Frost.

Since Frost took over in 2018, Nebraska has averaged 557 yards on offense and 40 points versus the Fighting Illini. Starting quarterback Adrian Martinez returns for Nebraska, fresh off posting a 135.0 passer rating in seven games in 2020. The junior also ran for 521 yards and seven scores last season, and his dual threat abilities will be called upon often on Saturday.

https://twitter.com/gobigreddie/status/1429658511902920708

The Cornhuskers lost leading rusher (Dedrick Mills) and leading receiver (Wan’Dale Robinson), but there is some optimism that former top recruit Zavier Betts can provide elite playmaking from the wideout position.

On the other side of the ball is where Nebraska holds a big advantage. The team is returning 11 players with starting experience, including eight players who started at least seven games in 2020. The Cornhuskers boast the most returning defensive production in the Big Ten West according to ESPN’s metrics, and will feature six defenders who earned at least honorable mentions when it comes to All-Big Ten accolades.

Illinois In Rebuild Mode

The Fighting Illini meanwhile, are rebuilding yet again. Bret Bielema will make his Illinois head coaching debut for a team with big questions on both sides of the ball. The Fighting Illini never ranked higher than 70th in offensive SP+ under previous coach Lovie Smith, and only once ranked better than 77th on defense.

me settling in to watch Nebraska vs. Illinois this weekend pic.twitter.com/j3S6OMiJLJ

— Down The Line (@downtheline1842) August 23, 2021

Senior Brandon Peters has been named the starting QB despite an underwhelming resume. He’s completed just 53.5% of his passes at the collegiate level, and last year averaged only 5.4 yards per attempt. Illinois lost leading receiver Josh Imatorbhebhe to the NFL, and if they’re going to find offensive success it will likely come on the ground.

Both Chase Brown and Mike Epstein averaged over 5 yards a carry last season, and the offensive line features five returnees who all weight at least 310 pounds.

Fourth year RFr RB Chase Brown (5-11, 200) is back for Illinois in 2021. Once again, note the youth at the point of attack for the #Huskers — true Soph OLB and RFr backup ILB. That 2020 season SO important for gaining experience for all these young studs. pic.twitter.com/Sw0C8RN2it

— 🎈Chaz in SoCal (also @chazinsocal.bsky.social) (@Chaz_in_Socal) August 21, 2021

Defensively, the Fighting Illini allowed a Big Ten West worst 34.9 points per game in 2020, and not much has been done to plug the gapping holes, especially on the defensive line.

Nebraska vs Illinois Pick

In the past eight meetings with Illinois, Nebraska has averaged 247 rushing yards and has produced seven 100-yard rushers. Martinez averages over 8 yards per play against this team, and has accounted for nine total touchdowns.

There’s little reason to think Big Red won’t produce offensively, and there’s a big discrepancy between these two teams in the SP+ model. Nebraska checks in with a preseason ranking of 30, compared to number 83 for Illinois. That makes the Cornhuskers roughly a 10-point favorite by SP+ ratings, and you can currently grab them at -7.

Also working in Nebraska’s favor is their propensity for strong starts. The Cornhuskers are 32-3 in their past 35 season openers, and are 14-0 all-time in August.

Pick: Nebraska -7 (-110)