The Nebraska Cornhuskers will take on the Illinois Fighting Illini in the first game of the college football season. It's time to begin our college football odds series and make a Nebraska-Illinois prediction and pick.

Nebraska's program under head coach Scott Frost hasn't come close to living up to expectations, but the Huskers have a chance to turn that around in this Big 10 opener. This is probably a make-or-break year for Frost, as he hasn't had a good season ever since he was hired in 2017. Illinois heads into this season opener with a new coaching staff at the helm. Bret Bielema took over the coaching duties for the Illini in the offseason, and he'll look to replicate the success that Illinois had against Nebraska last season.

Here's how the bookmakers have set the odds for Saturday's first game.

CFB Odds: Nebraska-Illinois Odds

Nebraska Cornhuskers -6 1/2 (-118)

Illinois Fighting Illini +6 1/2 (-102)

Over 55 points (-108)

Under 55 points (-112)

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Why Nebraska Could Cover The Spread

Continuity at quarterback is a huge factor in football, especially in the first week of the season. Luckily, starting signal-caller, Adrian Martinez returned to Nebraska for another year. Martinez hasn't lived up to the lofty expectations set for him, but the junior quarterback is still a solid quarterback. He posted decent numbers last season, including leading the team in rushing. Martinez should get even better in his third season starting under Scott Frost.

Nebraska's rushing offense was the second-best in the Big Ten last season, and it should get even better this season. Running back Markese Stepp should be the lead back after transferring from USC, and the Huskers have several other options which can fill in capably. The offensive line lost a couple of starters in the offseason, but they should be able to transition into this season without too much trouble. Illinois allowed 5.1 yards per carry and 230 rushing yards per game in 2020, so it's clearly an exploitable part of their defense. Nebraska should pound the football and lean on the run game throughout this game.

Why Illinois Could Cover The Spread

The Illini managed to pull off a huge upset of Nebraska last season, and they have the potential to do so again. The offensive line returned four starters from last season, so it's fair to expect good production from them and the run game, especially under head coach Bret Bielema. The Huskers weren't quite as bad against the run as the Illini were, but they still allowed 4.1 yards per carry and 170 rushing yards per game. Illinois should dominate the time of possession and the line of scrimmage in this game, as the Huskers aren't a capable run defense.

The Illini should also have a fairly easy time defending the pass in this game. Nebraska is deploying three complete wild cards at receiver, and Illinois is returning a couple of decent starters at cornerback in Devon Witherspoon and Tony Adams. Opposing quarterback Adrian Martinez struggled mightily to stretch the field last season, making life much easier for this Illinois secondary. If this defense can stop the run (which is a big if), they will win this game.

Final Nebraska-Illinois Prediction & Pick

Earlier in the week, the lines were set to make Illinois the correct pick. Now the Huskers are only favored by a touchdown, and it's hard to pick against that. Nebraska should avenge their loss from last season and win this game by a couple of scores.

FINAL PICK: Nebraska Cornhuskers -6 1/2 (-118)