Illinois and No. 7 Penn State meet on Saturday afternoon for a showdown between Big Ten rivals. The Fighting Illini (2-5) have struggled this season and lost five of their last six games. Illinois hopes to get things back on track as it returns to the field from a bye week. Penn State (5-1) is also coming off a bye week. The Nittany Lions suffered a tough 23-20 defeat at the hands of No. 11 Iowa in Week 6.
Kickoff from Beaver Stadium is set for noon ET. The Nittany Lions are favored by 23 points in the latest Penn State vs. Illinois odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points is set at 45.5. Before locking in any Illinois vs. Penn State picks, you need to check out the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,700 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also enters Week 8 of the 2021 season on a 22-9 run on all top-rated college football side picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has locked in on Penn State vs. Illinois and revealed its picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the college football odds and trends for Illinois vs. Penn State:
- Illinois vs. Penn State spread: Penn State -23
- Illinois vs. Penn State over-under: 45.5 points
- Illinois vs. Penn State money line: Penn State -2800, Illinois +1200
- PSU: Nittany Lions are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games as a favorite
- ILL: Under is 5-0 in Fighting Illini last five games overall
Featured Game | Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Illinois Fighting Illini
Why Penn State can cover
Penn State’s defense has been stifling thus far. It is ranked first in the conference and allows 13.8 points per game. The Nittany Lions also rank fifth in total defense with 311.7 yards per game. Penn State has four games in which it has allowed fewer than 20 points. This group has made plenty of plays in their opponents’ backfield, recording 38 tackles for loss.
Redshirt senior defensive end Arnold Ebiketie leads Penn State in tackles for loss (9) and sacks (4). Junior linebacker Brandon Smith is second on the team in total tackles with 37, including 22 solo. Smith is also second in tackles for loss (5). The Nittany Lion defense has the personnel to cause havoc in Illinois’ backfield.
Why Illinois can cover
The Illinois rushing attack is ranked eighth in the Big Ten. The Illini average 164.1 rushing yards per game and are led by sophomore Chase Brown. Brown has the eighth-most rushing yards in the Big Ten with 414 yards on 60 carries and three scores. He averages a team-high 82.8 yards per game.
Freshman tailback Josh McCray has come in and made plays as well. He is second on the team in rushing yards with 334 yards on 63 carries and one score. Against Purdue, McCray had 24 carries for 156 yards with 6.5 yards per carry. Going up against Penn State’s rush defense will be a tall task but Illinois will attack it head-on.
How to make Illinois vs. Penn State picks
The model says to go under the total as the teams combine for 45 points in the simulations. It also says one side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time. You can see which side to back at SportsLine.
So who wins Penn State vs. Illinois? And which side of the spread is hitting well over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread to back, all from the advanced model on a 22-9 run on its top-rated college football side picks, and find out.
