As the 2024 college football season kicked off, few expected the Week 4 showdown between Illinois and Nebraska to feature two ranked teams. But here we are.
Illinois heads to Lincoln undefeated at 3-0, ranked No. 24 in the country, while Nebraska also boasts a 3-0 record, sitting at No. 22 for this Friday night matchup.
Historically, Nebraska leads the all-time series 14-6-1, with their most recent win coming in 2023, when they defeated Illinois 20-7 in Champaign. Now, the Illini are looking to turn the tables as underdogs on the road in Lincoln.
Illinois vs. Nebraska Betting Preview
All Illinois vs. Nebraska odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Friday, Sept. 20.
- Spread
Nebraska -8 - Moneyline
Illinois +260, Nebraska -325 - Over/Under
43 points - Game time
8:00 p.m. ET - Location
Memorial Stadium | Lincoln, NE - Predicted Weather at Kick
80 degrees, Partly Cloudy - How to Watch
FOX
The Illinois vs. Nebraska odds started with the Cornhuskers as an eight-point favorite before creeping up slightly to -8.5. However, since Monday, a flurry of money on the Fighting Illini has seen the line fall to -7.5. Despite this, Matt Rhule’s team climbed back to that -8 mark on the morning of the game.
With some impressive defensive displays from both teams, the oddsmakers aren’t predicting a free-scoring showdown between the two Big Ten teams. The line opened at 46.5 and has steadily dropped, coming to rest midweek at 43 points.
Illinois enters 2-1 against the spread, and Nebraska looks to remain unbeaten against the spread in 2024 as it enters 3-0. These two Big Ten squads are a combined 0-6 to the Under, explaining why the total has and may continue to drop before kickoff.
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season with CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
Prediction for Illinois vs. Nebraska
This game may come down to the defenses, but there’s no shortage of key players to watch on Friday night.
True freshman QB Dylan Raiola has been a standout for Nebraska, throwing for 670 yards, five touchdowns, and just one interception this season. He’s coming off a dominant showing in the Huskers’ 34-3 victory over Northern Iowa, where he passed for 247 yards and two touchdowns and on the heels of his national showing vs. Colorado a week prior.
His top target has quickly become Isaiah Neyor, a 6’4″ transfer from Wyoming via Texas. With 12 catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns so far in 2024, his size and catch radius make him a reliable target, something we saw back in his Wyoming days before an injury derailed his time with the Longhorns.
On the other side, Illinois QB Luke Altmyer has been efficient and effective, throwing for 647 yards and six touchdowns without an interception this season. He leans on two dependable receivers: Pat Bryant, who leads the team with four touchdowns and 235 receiving yards, and Zakhari Franklin, Illinois’ leader in receptions and targets.
This is a marquee matchup between two very good football teams and two teams I’ve enjoyed watching in 2024. The 3-0 Huskers are on a mission to prove themselves in the Big Ten and have cracked the top 25 rankings for the first time in eight years.
Both teams head into this matchup following dominant victories. Nebraska’s offense totaled 423 yards, including 281 through the air, with an impressive 8.8 yards per play and 22 first downs against Northern Iowa. On the defensive side, the Cornhuskers limited their opponent to 301 total yards (162 passing) and held them to 6-of-16 on third-down conversions.
While I like what the Illinois offense has done in 2024, I don’t think they’ve played a defense quite like Nebraska, and they certainly haven’t been in an environment like they’ll experience in Lincoln on Friday night.
It should be an excellent night for college football in Lincoln, as Husker fans have been desperately waiting to have a contender to root for in Nebraska for quite some time. Now they have a ranked team, and on Friday, they get their first win as a ranked team over another ranked program in quite some time.
Prediction: Nebraska 24, Illinois 13
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