A clash between the big numeral conferences as the Kansas Jayhawks go on the road to take on the Illinois Fighting Illini. With the upstart Jayhawks looking to continue building momentum in the Big 12, a refreshed Illinois team under Bret Bielema will look to challenge Kansas’ ground game.
A meeting of programs looking to make a bigger name nationally, Kansas brings an innovative offense to the more traditional stylings of Illinois.
Kansas vs. Illinois Betting and DFS Preview
The Jayhawks are elated to have a healthy Jalon Daniels leading the offense, while the Illini will look to Luke Altmyer to counter Kansas’ high-flying offense.
This is a unique matchup between two programs with very contrasting styles. With an over/under of 57.5, one takeaway is to expect points to be scored.
All Kansas vs. Illinois odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Saturday, Sept. 7.
- Spread
Kansas -4 - Moneyline
Kansas -185, Illinois +154 - Over/Under
57.5 - Game time
5 p.m. ET - Location
Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL - Predicted Weather at Kick
66 degrees, sunny to partly cloudy - How to Watch
FS1
The Jayhawks reach a point where they were 5.5-point favorites, just a shade under a touchdown, which felt important for multiple reasons. Both teams are going to score; what becomes interesting is who can finish drives scoring touchdowns instead of field goals.
That line moved back to -4 for Kansas, making those touchdown-ending drives all the more important.
With the over/under sitting at 57.5, given that both offenses can put points on the board in a hurry, this feels like a prime game for an over.
Weather shouldn’t be a factor, as cooler temperatures and an evening kickoff will provide near-perfect conditions for the offensive output trend.
Prediction for Kansas vs. Illinois
Kansas uses formations and trickeration to move the football, Illinois keeps it more traditional. The contrast in styles offensively should provide an entertaining format for watching and could add some elements in terms of hitting the spread.
The real question in this game will be the defenses. Kansas gave up 26.5 points per game in 2023, which put them at 67th in the nation. Although this is a new version of the Jayhawks’ defense, there’s not a lot to draw from after a 48-3 drubbing of Lindenwood.
Likewise, Illinois is looking to fix a defense that was 97th in the country in points allowed in 2023. With Jer’Zhan Newton off to the NFL, the Illini need to find a new star as well as improve in points allowed if they want to compete in the revamped Big Ten.
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A home win over Eastern Illinois was a good way to start the season for Altmyer, but the talented signal-caller needs to find a rhythm quickly in this game. He was judicious in spreading the ball around to his receivers, but Malik Elzy can take the top off a defense in a hurry. Altmyer should look for him early.
Ultimately, the potency of Kansas’ offensive attack should be the deciding factor in this one, and while Altmyer will duel with Daniels in a fun quarterback matchup, it will be the Jayhawks in a close one that we think is going over.
Prediction: Kansas 31, Illinois 27
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