Nebraska vs Illinois Prediction - College Football Picks 10/6/23

Illinois Fighting Illini (2-3) vs Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-3)

Game Info: Friday, October 6, 2023 at 8:00 pm (Memorial Stadium)

Betting Odds: Illinois Fighting Illini -3.5 -- Over/Under: 43 Click Here for the Latest Odds

The Nebraska Cornhuskers and Illinois Fighting Illini face off on Friday night in a Big Ten college football showdown at Memorial Stadium in Champaign.

Nebraska needs to Win This Game

This is almost a must win game for Nebraska or there is going to be even more rumblings from their fan. Nebraska has two wins but in the last game they were blown out again. The offense only managed seven points while the defense gave up 45 points. In the last game Heinrich Haarberg completed 14 of his 25 passes for 199 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception. Josh Fleeks had one rush for 74 yards but the next top rusher had only 16 yards and this needs to be a more balanced attack. The Cornhuskers are averaging 18.8 points while their defense is giving up 23.8 points per game. Haarberg is expected to start again in this game.

Nebraska Betting Trends

Nebraska has lost 14 of its last 15 games as an underdog.
Nebraska has covered the spread in six of its last seven games against non-AP-ranked teams.
Ten of Nebraska's last 13 games as a road underdog have gone UNDER the total points line.

Illinois Have Not Been Good

There were expectations surrounding Illinois heading into the season but they haven’t been good enough. Illinois has won only two games this season and the only two wins have been by a total of eight points over Florida Atlantic and Toledo. Illinois is averaging 21.6 points while their defense is giving up 30.6 points per game. In the last game against the Purdue the defense gave up 44 points and that led to the defeat. Quarterback Luke Altmeyer completed 16 of his 25 passes for 202 yards and one touchdown.

Illinois Betting Trends

Illinois has lost five of its last seven October games as a home favorite.
Illinois has failed to cover the spread in each of its last five games at Memorial Stadium (Champaign).
Illinois has won the first quarter in three of its last four games against conference opponents at Memorial Stadium (Champaign).
Six of Illinois' last seven home games in October have gone UNDER the total points line.

Shane’s Free Pick

I really don’t trust either of these teams, and because of that we have to take the points. Illinois defense showed it had some major holes in the last game and they are going to struggle to defend again. Look for the Cornhuskers to run up the score and I expect Haarberg is going to have a big game here. This game is a true toss up and Illinois shouldn’t be laying the points here. Back Nebraska against the spread.