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It is time to continue our college football odds series with an Illinois-Penn State prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Illinois-Penn State.
The Illinois Fighting Illini have punched above their weight so far this season. Illinois beat a ranked Kansas team and then went on the road and beat a ranked Nebraska team. Coach Bret Bielema is no stranger to winning in the Big Ten, having won Big Ten championships and reached Rose Bowls at Wisconsin. Now, “Bert” is making real progress with the Fighting Illini. Illinois has shown that it is a tough out and will require a very strong performance if an opposing team is going to beat the Illini this year. The Illinois defense just does not give up huge quantities of points, a welcome change from last year when the Illini could wobble and buckle at times on defense. This year's defense is more airtight and consistent. It doesn't get gashed for as many big running plays and it doesn't get sliced up in the secondary to the same extent it did in 2023. Moderately better defense plus moderately improved offense gives Illinois a winning formula in a Big Ten defined so far this season by parity, balance, and depth.
Penn State wants to be able to prove a point on Saturday against Illinois: The West Virginia game was a true indicator of how good PSU is, not the Bowling Green game. Against WVU, Penn State dominated from start to finish and made a very convincing statement of its overall capabilities. Against Bowling Green, Penn State was unfocused, ragged, disjointed, and unable to play really good football for long periods of time. Bowling Green outplayed Penn State for a portion of that contest. Penn State did manage to win, but it won by only seven and didn't come anywhere close to covering the spread. Penn State needs to gain a sense of urgency — which has been missing since the West Virginia opener — with a sense of pride. The Nittany Lions need to improve how they play with the teeth of the Big Ten schedule now arriving.
Here are the Illinois-Penn State College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Illinois-Penn State Odds
Illinois: +17.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +720
Penn State: -17.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -1200
Over: 47.5 (-115)
Under: 47.5 (-105)
How to Watch Illinois vs Penn State
Article Continues Below
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT
TV: NBC
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Illinois Could Cover The Spread/Win
The spread is a shockingly large 17.5 points. Illinois has given Penn State some tough battles on the road in recent years, including and especially the long overtime marathon with tons of missed 2-point conversions. There is a chance Penn State can run away with this game, but it's not likely. The Penn State passing game has looked good at times — against West Virginia in particular — but the Bowling Green game did not display PSU at its very best. If PSU is not at its best, Illinois should have little problem covering a spread this large.
Why Penn State Could Cover The Spread/Win
A 17.5-point spread might seem daunting, but if Penn State quarterback Drew Allar plays up to his capabilities and gets PSU off to a great 7-0 or 14-0 start in the first quarter, the Nittany Lions can build the game the way they want to and will eventually accumulate more than enough points to run away from Illinois. PSU has the far better team and is playing at home. Of course Penn State can win by 21 or more. That wouldn't be a total shocker at all.
Final Illinois-Penn State Prediction & Pick
We think this line is off and that Penn State should be favored by 13.5 points. We therefore recommend that you jump on Illinois plus the 17.5.
Final Illinois-Penn State Prediction & Pick: Illinois +17.5
