Subscribe
Follow Us
These are two of the better teams in the Big Ten. Oregon is a juggernaut and the top-ranked team, while Illinois has seen a big improvement this season. It is time to continue our college football odds series with an Illinois-Oregon prediction and pick.
Illinois has been a great story this season. They are 6-1 and one of the best stories in college football. They have only one loss to Penn State and then have marquee wins against Nebraska and Michigan. Illinois is throwing the ball more and loves to play physically on offense and defense. Illinois will have a massive challenge against Oregon on the road.
Oregon has jumped to the top of the AP Poll after Texas' loss, and this will be their first game as the top-ranked team. Their best win was a huge win against Ohio State, but they also had a big win against Boise State that continues to look better each week. The Ducks get a big game against Illinois back at home in Autzen Stadium in what should be another opportunity for the Ducks to make a statement.
Here are the Illinois-Oregon College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Illinois-Oregon Odds
Illinois: +21.5 (-115)
Moneyline: +980
Oregon: -21.5 (-105)
Moneyline: -2000
Over: 54.5 (-112)
Under: 54.5 (-108)
How to Watch Illinois vs. Oregon
Time: 3:30 pm ET/12:30 pm PT
TV: CBS/Paramount+
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Illinois Could Cover The Spread/Win
Illinois has been great this season. They have been solid on offense overall and average 365.6 yards and 29.6 points per game. Quarterback Luke Altmeyer has been great for this offense. He has 1,506 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, and one interception with a 65.9% completion percentage. Pat Bryant has also been solid in the receiving game for the Illini, with 484 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 31 receptions. The running game is still key for a Bret Bielema team even with the season Altmeyer's having. Kaden Feagin has 306 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 67 carries. The running game sets everything up for the Illini and is huge for why Altmeyer is having the year he has.
The Illinois defense has been solid this season, allowing 18.1 points per game and 344.1 yards per game. The Fighting Illini have been solid against the pass, but they have been awful against the run. They are allowing 198.9 yards through the air, while also allowing 145.3 yards on the ground. Oregon has weapons across the board to beat the Illini through the air or on the ground with Dillon Gabriel and Jordan James as the main keys that make their offense go.
Why Oregon Could Cover The Spread/Win
Oregon started slow but is now the top-ranked team in college football. They are averaging 34.6 points per game and 458.6 total yards per game. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel has been great for the Ducks. He has 2,080 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, and four interceptions with a 77% completion percentage. Oregon has one of the best-receiving corps in the country. Tez Johnson leads the way with 536 yards and seven touchdowns on 57 receptions. The running game has been great for the Ducks. Jordan James is the main running back that makes this offense go. He has 717 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 121 carries.
Oregon's defense has also been solid this season. They allow 16.6 points and 297.9 yards per game. They excel against the passing attack and the ground game. They allow 175.6 yards through the air and 122.3 yards on the ground per game. This will be a huge matchup because the Fighting Illini have a lot of balance on offense thanks to Luke Altmeyer's great year. They will present a huge challenge for the Ducks because of that balance where they want to run the ball but have the quarterback to keep defenses honest.
Final Illinois-Oregon Prediction & Pick
Illinois had a huge win last week at home against Michigan, while Oregon cruised to a win against Purdue despite the long travel. Illinois should keep this close at first, but the Ducks are just the better team. Oregon should win this game and win it easily, thanks to a second-half surge where the Ducks will cover after Illinois just does not have enough left in the tank.
Final Illinois-Oregon Prediction & Pick: Oregon -21.5 (-105)
