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The Chattanooga Mocs (3-0) travel to take on the Illinois Fighting Illini (2-1) on Thursday. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:30 ET. Here we'll continue our College Football odds series with a Chattanooga-Illinois prediction and pick.
Chattanooga is undefeated thus far, having won all three of their games. The caveat being that the Mocs are an FCS program – meaning they don't play the same level of competition on a weekly basis compared to FBS opponents. That being said, 3-0 is 3-0 no matter who the competition is. While Thursday night's matchup with Illinois will be their toughest opponent to date, the Mocs are riding high off a 41-14 victory over North Alabama last week.
For Illinois, the Fighting Illini are 2-1 heading into this Week 4 matchup. The Big 10 program suffered a heartbreaking 3-point loss to conference foe Indiana in Week 2, but won convincingly in Weeks 1 and 3. Last week, Illinois defeated ACC opponent Virginia 24-3. Thursday's game will be the Fighting Illini's last chance at a tune-up before Big 10 play officially starts in Week 5.
Here are the Chattanooga-Illinois College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Chattanooga-Illinois Odds
Chattanooga Mocs: +18.5 (-108)
Illinois Fighting Illini:-18.5 (-112)
Over: 44.5 (-110)
Under: 44.5 (-110)
Why Chattanooga Could Cover The Spread
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Despite being from a smaller conference and playing a Power 5 team, Chattanooga should not be slept on. Thus far we have already seen a number of big-time programs drop matchups to lower-tier opponents (looking at you, Notre Dame and Texas A&M). The Mocs are 3-0 and despite not playing an FBS school yet, they've won in dominating fashion: outscoring their opponents by an average of 37-11. They currently rank at #10 in the FCS.
Chattanooga is led by its stellar defense. They have one of the best defenses in the FCS Southern Conference. The Mocs have given up just 266 yards per game: including less than 200 passing yards per game. Chattanooga is led by Preseason SoCon Defensive Player of the Year Devonnsha Maxwell. The disruptive defensive end is a two-time FCS All-American and has a chance to get drafted into the NFL following this season. A graduate senior, Maxwell led the SoCon with 12 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss last season. At 6'3 and close to 300 lbs. Maxwell is a force to be reckoned with on the defensive line. Chattanooga's identity is their defense – and that starts with the play of Maxwell.
Offensively, Chattanooga is a solid unit that executes at a high level and doesn't make a lot of mistakes. Grad transfer Preston Hutchinson starts at quarterback for the Mocs. A dual-threat QB, Hutchinson is coming off a 5 touchdown performance against North Alabama where he threw for over 300 yards.
While they don't have a dominant receiver, the Mocs have a number of capable playmakers. They like to spread the ball on offense and get their receivers in open space. This space has opened up a lot of room to run for running back Ailym Ford. The undersized back has run for 331 yards and 4 touchdowns through the first three games. His strong running style compliments their dual-threat quarterback very well.
Why Illinois Could Cover The Spread
Similar to their opponents, Illinois is led by its tremendous defense. The Fighting Illini pride themselves on their ability to stop the run. Illinois has given up under 100 rushing yards per game and currently holds the FBS' 23rd-ranked rush defense. The Illini's defense is led by a pair of Sophomore defensive linemen in Keith Randolph Jr. and Jer'Zhan Newton. Randolph leads the team with 17 tackles, while Newton has 13 tackles himself to go with his team-leading 2 sacks.
The secondary seems to be their only question mark on that side of the ball. In their lone loss to Indiana, the Illini were torched by Hoosier receiver Cam Camper – having given up over 150 yards to the junior. The defensive play will surely be a factor when making our Chattanooga Illinois prediction.
Offensively, Illinois' bread-and-butter lies in their run game. A thousand-yard rusher last season, running back Chase Brown is well-positioned to blow past the century mark in his junior year. Through three games Brown leads all of FBS in rushing, having accumulated nearly 500 yards to go along with his 2 touchdowns. At 5'11 205 lbs, Brown is the definition of a workhorse running back. He's racked up 75 carries thus far – including a 36 carry day in their loss to Indiana. The Illini will surely be looking to utilize their star running back early and often as they assert their dominance in the trenches.
Final Chattanooga-Illinois Prediction & Pick
It'll be a battle of strengths Thursday night. Chattanooga's patented run defense will look to slow down the NCAA's leading rusher, Chase Brown. Despite a great start to the season, Chattanooga just can't match the talent level of Illinois. Expect the Mocs to keep it close early, but for the Illini to run away with it in the second half.
Final Chattanooga-Illinois Prediction & Pick: Illinois Fighting Illini -18.5 (-112)
