One of the four ranked matchups on the Week 4 college football schedule will take place on Friday night. Star freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola and No. 22 Nebraska (3-0) will host No. 24 Illinois (3-0) in the Big Ten opener for both squads. Each team cruised to an easy victory last week, with the Cornhuskers knocking off Northern Iowa, 34-3, while the Illini easily handled Central Michigan, 30-9. These programs have met 21 times previously, with Nebraska leading the series 14-6-1, including a 9-3 record in home games.
Kickoff from Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb., is at 8 p.m. ET. The home team Huskers are averaging 34 points per game, with the Illini not far behind at 32.7 PPG. The latest Illinois vs. Nebraska odds have the Cornhuskers as 8-point favorites, per SportsLine consensus, while the over/under is 42.5. Before entering any Nebraska vs. Illinois picks, you'll want to see the college football predictions from the advanced computer model at SportsLine.
The model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a profit of over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It is also coming off a profitable 13-9 season on top-rated spread picks and is off to a 5-2 start on over/under picks this season. Anyone who has followed it has seen strong returns.
The model has set its sights on Illinois vs. Nebraska. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college football betting lines for the spread, money line and over/under for the Nebraska vs. Illinois game:
- Illinois vs. Nebraska spread: Nebraska -8
- Illinois vs. Nebraska over/under: 42.5 points
- Illinois vs. Nebraska money line: Nebraska -334, Illinois +260
- Illinois vs. Nebraska picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Nebraska can cover
The Blackshirts were elite last year, ranking 13th in the nation in scoring defense, and they're even better this season. Nebraska's defense is allowing just 6.7 points per game, which ranks eighth-best in all of college football. The Huskers have been virtually impenetrable on the ground, holding opponents to only 2.5 yards per carry and no rushing touchdowns. They've also limited big plays, having allowed just one rush all season longer than 13 yards.
That strength will go up against Illinois' weakness as the team ranks just 79th in the country in total offense. The Illini have an inefficient ground game as leading rusher Kaden Feagin ranks sixth in the Big Ten in rushing attempts but is only 14th in rushing yards as his 4.1 ypc is among the lowest in the conference. Struggling in the run game is nothing new for Nebraska as over its last five games against fellow Power Four teams, it has averaged just 3.0 yards per carry. See which team to pick here.
Why Illinois can cover
Illinois won't be fazed by the hostile environment that Memorial Stadium will present as it has had previous success at the venue. The Illini emerged victorious in their last two games at Nebraska in 2020 and 2022. Illinois won both by double-digits, also covering in each. Additionally, coach Bret Bielema always has his teams ready for road tests. Since he took over the Fighting Illini program in 2021, Illinois is 11-4 ATS in away games. Just five teams in all of FBS have a better cover percentage in road games over that span.
The Fighting Illini haven't allowed a touchdown in two of their three games, and they also held the then-No. 17 Kansas Jayhawks to only 17 points in a Week 2 victory. A big reason for their defensive success stems from taking the ball away from the opponent, as Illinois has forced nine turnovers this season, one shy of the most in college football. See which team to pick here.
How to make Nebraska vs. Illinois picks
The model has simulated Illinois vs. Nebraska 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, projecting 43 combined points. It's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Nebraska vs. Illinois, and which side of the spread is hitting well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Illinois vs. Nebraska spread to jump on, all from the advanced computer model that's up over $2,000 on its top-rated college football spread picks since its inception, and find out.
