Illinois vs. Penn State in Week 5 is a big-time top-20 matchup in the Big Ten. The Fighting Illini moved up to No. 19 in the country following a hard-fought overtime road win over then-nationally ranked Nebraska last Friday night.
Penn State has jumped into the top 10 following a convincing home beatdown of Kent State. Now, the Nittany Lions are preparing for their 2024 Big Ten opener against Illinois.
Illinois vs Penn State Betting and DFS Preview
All Illinois vs. Penn State odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Sunday, Sept. 22.
- Spread
Penn State -17.5 - Moneyline
Illinois +750, Penn State -1200 - Over/Under
47.5 - Game Time
7:30 p.m. ET - Location
Beaver Stadium | University Park, Pa. - Predicted Weather at Kick
66 degrees, partly cloudy - How To Watch
NBC
The spread has seen little movement. It opened at -17.5, momentarily jumped to -18 in Penn State’s favor, and returned to its original opening number. The total has been nearly the same as it has fallen just a point from where it opened at 48.5, now 47.5.
Illinois comes in 3-1 against the spread (ATS), as their only ATS loss was by half a point, barely failing to cover 21.5 against Central Michigan. Penn State comes in 2-1 ATS as their lone loss against the spread was a surprisingly close seven-point victory over Bowling Green as 34.5-point favorites.
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
- QB Drew Allar, Penn State
- QB Luke Altmyer, Illinois
- RB Nicholas Singleton, Penn State
- RB Kaden Feagin, Illinois
- RB Kaytron Allen, Penn State
- WR Zakhari Franklin, Illinois
- WR Pat Bryant Illinois
- WR Tyler Warren, Penn State
- WR Omari Evans, Penn State
Both Big Ten squads have been led by excellent quarterbacks in the early going. Drew Allar has been one of the nation’s most efficient quarterbacks, ranking second in quarterback rating (218.34) and yards per attempt (12.6). He’s also completing 70.7% of his passes, making him a key piece in Penn State’s high-powered offense this season.
Meanwhile, Luke Altmyer has been virtually perfect for Illinois during their 4-0 start. He’s thrown for 862 yards with 10 touchdowns and no interceptions and is coming off a stellar performance at Nebraska, in which he threw for 215 yards and four touchdowns.
Altmyer has a duo threat at wide receiver who are quickly becoming two of the better playmakers in the Big Ten. Zakhari Franklin leads the Illini in receptions and targets, and Pat Bryant leads Illinois in receiving yards and touchdowns with six.
Tyer Warren leads a group of four Nittany Lion receivers that all have two touchdown catches on the year. He also leads Penn State with 16 receptions and 226 yards receiving.
Prediction for Illinois vs. Penn State
This line is a bit surprising to me. I thought we’d see this closer to the 10.5-12 range. Illinois just showed they can go into a raucous environment and play sound football on both sides of the ball. And while Penn State is undoubtedly a better team than Nebraska, Illinois showed last Friday night.
For me, it starts with Altmyer. He’s been an excellent decision-maker for the Illini with the football. He has the ability to make big-time throws and is mobile enough to extend drives using his feet. He’s been exceptionally accurate and consistently puts the ball where only his guy has a chance to make a play.
I’ve been high on Allar since before the start of his freshman year. He’s got the prototypical pro-style quarterback body with a big arm and some mobility. His issues have been accuracy and touch, which he is clearly working on, but he hasn’t seen a defense quite like the one Illinois is bringing to Pennsylvania in 2024. It’s going to be interesting to see how Allar performs on Saturday.
I think the Nittany Lions will get it done in prime time, but I think this is a bit of a dogfight, and the rest of the Big Ten will be put on notice that Illinois is a legitimate test for anyone in 2024.
The Prediction: Illinois 14 – Penn State 24
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