Kansas vs Illinois Prediction College Football Picks 9/7/24

In this article, we will formulate a Kansas vs Illinois prediction for this College Football game on Saturday, September 7th at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this Week 2 matchup. 

Kansas Jayhawks Betting Preview

The Kansas Jayhawks are 1-0 this season after they defeated Lindenwood by a score of 48-3 in their last game. Kansas scored 27 points in the second quarter and they led 34-0 at the half, before coasting to the victory in the second half. Kansas outgained Lindenwood by a total of 530-202 and turned the ball over twice in the win. The Jayhawks went 6-10 on third down and 3-3 on fourth down in the game. Jalon Daniels threw for 148 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, while Devin Neal rushed for 112 yards and two scores on just eight carries. 

Kansas was able to pick up a very easy victory in their first matchup, but they will have much tougher competition in this game. The Jayhawks looked great on both sides of the ball, but it is tough to take very much against an opponent like Lindenwood. Kansas will play against UNLV and West Virginia following this one.

Illinois Fighting Illini Betting Preview

The Illinois Fighting Illini are 1-0 this year after they defeated Eastern Illinois by a score of 45-0 in their first game. Illinois led 31-0 at halftime and they were able to take their foot off of the gas pedal and coast to the win in the second half. Illinois outgained Eastern Illinois by a total of 486-196 and forced four turnovers in the game. Illinois went 4-10 on third down and held EIU to just 49 rushing yards. Luke Altmyer threw for 213 yards and four touchdowns, while Kaden Feagin rushed for 108 yards and one score. 

Similar to Kansas, Illinois had a very easy first opponent, which makes it tough to get a read on how a team actually looks. The Fighting Illini were able to force four turnovers in the game and they really didn’t even try to score in the second half. Illinois will meet Central Michigan after this game.

Kansas vs Illinois Prediction 

Both of these teams come into this matchup after cruising to easy wins in week one, but they will jump into a very tough matchup here. These two teams did play each other last season, with Kansas winning by a score of 34-23. Kansas’ offense was very solid in 2023 and they should be great again this year, but their defense does have some question marks. On the other side, the Illinois offense needs to prove they can consistently score, while also showing defensive improvement from last season. I do think Kansas is the better team and they should win, but I think Illinois can keep this one close, especially at home. Take the Fighting Illini with the points here.