Penn State vs. Illinois Prediction & Odds
Number 7 Penn State heads west to Champaign to face unranked Illinois at 12:00 PM ET on Saturday on FOX. Can the Nittany Lions cover the 14.5-point spread as road favorites this weekend?
Penn State is 2-0 straight up this season and 2-0 against the spread. Their best win came against West Virginia.
Illinois is 1-1 straight up this season and 0-2 against the spread. Their lone victory came against Toledo.
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
127 Penn State Nittany Lions (-14.5) at 128 Illinois Fighting Illini (+14.5); O/U 48.5
12:00 PM ET, Saturday, September 16, 2023
Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL
Penn State vs. Illinois Public Betting Information
As of this writing, the public is favoring the Nittany Lions in this game. Our CFB Public Betting page shows that 84% of public bets are on Penn State -14.5. Note that these numbers are subject to change and could be different once game time rolls around.
Penn State Nittany Lions Game Notes
Penn State starting defensive end Chop Robinson has missed the Nittany Lions’ last two games with an undisclosed injury and he’s officially listed as questionable for Saturday’s tilt with the Illini. Robinson was named an ESPN Mid-season True Freshman All-American while at Maryland in 2021 and was thought to be one of Penn State’s better defensive players this season.
Penn State senior nickel back and punt returner Daequan Hardy has missed the team’s last two games with an undisclosed injury and he’s officially listed as questionable for Saturday’s game against Illinois. Hardy had 13 total tackles, two passes defended and an interception as a member of the Nittany Lions’ defense last season. He also recorded 2 kickoff returns for 28 yards last year.
Penn State junior starting tight end Theo Johnson has also missed the team’s past two games and is officially listed as questionable for Saturday’s game. Johnson is the starter and caught 20 passes for 328 yards and 4 touchdowns last year.
Illinois Fighting Illini Game Notes
Illinois third-string redshirt freshman defensive back Tyson Rooks is nursing an undisclosed injury. He’s missed the team’s last two games with said injury and is officially listed as questionable for Saturday’s tilt with Penn State. Rooks plays the “star” position for Illinois with Elijah Mc-Cantos and Xavier Scott listed ahead of him on the team’s depth chart.
Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer’s performance was a mixed bag in his team’s 34-23 loss to Kansas on Friday night. The Ole Miss transfer did some good things as he recorded 202 passing yards, 70 rushing yards, and 3 total touchdowns, but he also threw 2 costly interceptions and only posted a QBR of 38.2. He’ll look to bounce back at home in a game his team will be two-touchdown underdogs in on Saturday.
Penn State vs. Illinois Betting Trends
Illinois was 5-4 ATS in conference games last season.
Illinois was 1-0 ATS as a home underdog last season.
Illinois was 3-0 ATS with the rest advantage last season.
Illinois was 3-2 ATS as an underdog last year.
Penn State vs. Illinois Betting Prediction
Illinois will have an extra day of rest in this matchup. They last played against Kansas on Friday night of last week, while Penn State faced Delaware on Saturday of last week. That might not seem like much, but Penn State will have to travel for this game and be forced to get up for the early 12:00 PM ET kickoff. Illinois was 3-0 ATS with the rest advantage last season and that could come into play again here.
There’s also the potential for a trap game for Penn State. The Nittany Lions will host #25 Iowa next Saturday night in Happy Valley in what could wind up being a huge game with Big Ten title implications. It would be understandable if Penn State isn’t exactly amped up for an Illinois team that just lost to Kansas last weekend. In a contrarian play, I like the Illini to keep it within two touchdowns this weekend.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 3 PREDICTION: ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI +14.5