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College football kicks off in less than three months. With that said, check out our college football odds series as we hand out an Illinois football over/under win total prediction and pick.
The University of Illinois Fighting Illini are coming off one of their best seasons in a long time in 2022. They finished 8-4 in the regular season with some solid wins over Iowa, Wisconsin and Virginia. However, they did lose three of their last four and four of their last five if you count the bowl game. Illinois will hope to carry their 2022 season into 2023 and capture the same success they had.
Below we will give out our Illinois win total prediction and pick.
Here are the College Football Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Illinois College Football Odds: Over/Under Win Total Odds
Over 6.5 wins: -118
Under 6.5 wins: -104
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Why Illinois Can Win 6.5 Games
Despite losing some key pieces, Illinois has a lot of good returning players. The Illini return three starters on the offensive line. This is important because Chase Brown does not do what he did last season without the help of a strong offensive line. Their best reciever is also back after recording 82 receptions for over 700 yards and five touchdowns. He should make it a comfortable transition for Luke Altmyer, the Ole Miss transfer tasked with the job of filling Tommy DeVito's shoes. Altmyer did not get a chance to play much at Ole Miss, but he is still a solid quarterback. At running back, the Illini will be looking in-house, but filling Brown's shows will not be easy. However, having two running backs that know the offense should help. When it comes to the defense, Illinois promoted a coach from within to fill the DC role. This is someone that knows the defense and is willing to keep the scheme from last season. This should help make the defense just as feared as they were last season.
Looking at the schedule, Illinois does not have to play Michigan or Ohio State. Those two games would have been losses, so not having to play them is a good thing. Toledo and Florida Atlantic should be easy wins in the non-conference schedule. Kansas will not be an easy game on the road, but it is definitely one they can win. Indiana and Northwestern in Champaign should also be wins for the Illini. That leaves two other games for them to win, and they still have teams like Nebraska and Minnesota on the schedule. Winning seven games in the regular season will not be easy for them, but it is definitely possible.
Why Illinois Can Not Win 6.5 Games
Illinois lost some of their key pieces. Chase Brown was one of the best running backs in the Big-10 and he was drafted by the Bengals in the fifth round, so he is no longer with the team. Their starting quarterback is also not with the team anymore. Those are two massive losses in the offense. Not to mention, illinois lost their best defensive back to the draft and their defensive coordinator to be head coach at Purdue. Illinois is forced to make some massive adjustments, and those are not always easy. If they do not adjust well, they will not win more than six games.
Looking at the schedule, the Illini will have some tough matchups. They are on the road to face a resurging Kansas team in non-conference play. They also travel to Maryland, Iowa, Minnesota, and Purdue in conference play. Purdue is a tough matchup with their former defensive coordinator being their head coach. It is never easy to go into Iowa and win and Maryland is always a tough opponent. Minnesota is not great, but it is still a Big-10 road game and those are never easy. They also have to welcome in Penn State, which will not be an easy game. With their depleted team, it is going to be tough for Illinois to win seven games in the regular season.
Final Illinois Over/Under Win Total Prediction & Pick
This season is going to be a real test for Bielema's squad. Chase Brown, Devon Witherspoon and Tommy DeVito are huge reasons for their success last season. Filling those shoes will not be easy and I think it takes a big hit on Illinois. If Illinois makes a bowl game this season, it will because they win just six games. I am betting the under on Illinois' win total.
Final Illinois Over/Under Win Total Prediction & Pick: Under 6.5 (-104)
