Two teams that entered this season as afterthoughts in the Big Ten — Illinois and Nebraska — are both undefeated and among college football’s most pleasant surprises of September heading into Week 4.
They meet in primetime — 8 p.m. ET — on Friday night in Lincoln, Nebraska, in a top-25 clash on FOX.
Last year, Nebraska and Illinois met in Champaign, IL, with the Huskers winning 20-7 despite committing three turnovers.
The Cornhuskers are laying 7.5 to 8 points in what is expected to be a low-scoring matchup.
Illinois vs. Nebraska Betting Odds
Below are the odds for Friday’s game in three markets: the spread, moneyline and total.
| DraftKings | FanDuel | ESPN BET | bet365 | |
| Ill. spread | +8 (-110) | +7.5 (-105) | +7.5 (-115) | +7.5 (-110) |
| NEB spread | -8 (-110) | -7.5 (-115) | -7.5 (-105) | -7.5 (-110) |
| Ill. ML | +260 | +250 | +260 | +265 |
| NEB ML | -325 | -315 | -320 | -330 |
| Total | 43 (o-108; u-112) | 43.5 (o-110; u-110) | 42.5 (o-115; u-105) | 42.5 (o-110; u-110) |
$250 BONUS BETS
DRAFTKINGS SPORTSBOOK
$1,000 FIRST BET RESET (MUST USE CODE NEWSWEEK)
ESPN BET
UP TO $1,000 BONUS BETS
FANATICS SPORTSBOOK
$1,500 FIRST-BET OFFER
BETMGM
$200 BONUS OR $1,000 FIRST-BET SAFETY NET
BET365
$1,000 FIRST BET
CAESARS SPORTSBOOK
$200 BONUS BETS
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK
No. 22 Nebraska was stout defensively but went just 5-7 (3-6 Big Ten) in 2023 in its first season under head coach Matt Rhule. The Cornhuskers entered this year as an intriguing potential darkhorse, though, thanks to five-star freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola.
No. 24 Illinois posted the same 5-7 (3-6 Big Ten) record as Nebraska in 2023 in the program’s third year under coach Bret Bielema, and the Fighting Illini entered 2024 with low expectations.
In fact, oddsmakers are still down on this team. At DraftKings, the Fighting Illini are 250-to-1 to win the Big Ten. Nebraska, for reference, is currently 30-to-1 in the same market, and only five teams currently have longer Big Ten outrights.
Illinois vs. Nebraska Betting Preview
Illinois Fighting Illini Betting News, Analysis
The Illini are the unknown in this matchup after Nebraska dominated Colorado 28-10 on national TV in Week 2.
Illinois took care of Eastern Illinois 45-0 in its season opener and beat MAC foe Central Michigan 30-9 last week, but the reason Bielema’s team is ranked is its Week 2 win over then-No. 19 Kansas.
The Fighting Illini were 4.5-point home underdogs against the Jayhawks and trailed 17-13 entering the fourth quarter, but scored 10 unanswered for a 23-17 upset of veteran Kansas QB Jalon Daniels and Co.
Illinois won that game thanks to its defense, which forced four turnovers by Daniels (three interceptions and one fumble). Those takeaways helped Illinois overcome a rough night on the ground (its running game was limited to just 79 yards on 34 carries in the win).
So far this season, the Illinois offense has leaned on its running backs, with starting QB Luke Altmyer attempting 29 passes or fewer in all three of his starts to date. In 2023, Altmyer started nine games, completing 175-of-270 passes for 1,883 yards, 13 TDs and 10 interceptions.
Defensively, the Illini have kept opposing teams out of the end zone, with just 8.7 points per game allowed, but they did give up 186 yards rushing to Kansas, the only Power Four opponent they’ve faced.
Nebraska Cornhuskers Betting News, Analysis
Nebraska was favored by a touchdown in an early-season home showcase against old Big 12 rival Colorado at Memorial Stadium, and the Huskers rolled on a breakout night for both Raiola and the program as a whole.
A year after getting blown out by the Buffaloes, Nebraska’s defense showed that it has not taken a step back after an excellent 2023 season, limiting Colorado to just 10 points on 260 yards of total offense.
The Huskers also got a balanced performance from their offense. Nebraska built a 28-0 lead thanks to a solid night by Raiola (23-for-30 for 185 yards, 1 TD) and the running game, which picked up 149 yards on 35 carries. That allowed it to control time of possession (35:21 to 24:39) in a game that wasn’t even as close as the 28-10 final score would indicate.
Through three games, Raiola has lived up to the massive buzz surrounding his commitment to Rhule and Nebraska. He enters Week 4 boasting a 73.8 completion percentage and 670 yards passing. Perhaps just as impressively, he’s avoided mistakes, with just interception and one sack in his first three starts.
Between Raiola and a running game averaging 4.9 yards per rush on nearly 35 carries per game, this offense looks much improved on last year’s unit, which was among the worst in the country.
As long as this defense (the No. 13 scoring D in the country in 2023) continues to pick up where it left off a year ago, Nebraska — which will likely be favored in each of its next four games — should be 7-0 when it travels to Columbus to take on Ohio State in Week 9.
Illinois vs. Nebraska Prediction, Best Bets
We’re bullish on Nebraska handling Illinois as long as Matt Rhule’s team can avoid turnovers. And so far this year, the Cornhuskers have forced five turnovers and committed only two.
Nebraska out-rushed Illinois 158-to-21 on the road when these teams last year. Even if that battle is more evenly matched on Friday night, it’s
- A) hard to see Illinois completely closing that gap
- B) clear that Nebraska has the advantage under center, with Raiola at home over Altmyer on the road.
Don’t be surprised if this one plays out similarly to the Nebraska-Colorado game a few weeks ago.
If we haven’t given this away already, we like Nebraska to shut down Illinois and win this one going away in front of a rocking Memorial Stadium.
Illinois vs. Nebraska Best Bets
- Nebraska -7.5 (-105 at ESPN BET)
- Illinois Team Total Under 14.5 (+115 at DraftKings)
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