The Indiana Hoosiers will look to win their 15th consecutive game against an FCS opponent when they take on the Western Illinois Leathernecks in non-conference action on Friday night. It will be just Indiana's seventh-ever Friday night game and the third consecutive season the Hoosiers have played in one. The Hoosiers (1-0), who opened with a 31-7 win over Florida International, is 17-1 all-time against FCS foes. The Leathernecks (0-1), who have dropped 25 games in a row, are looking to win their first game in nearly three years.
Kickoff from Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana, is set for 7 p.m. ET. This will be the first-ever meeting between the programs. The Hoosiers are 43.5-point favorites in the latest Indiana vs. Western Illinois odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 52.5. Before making any Western Illinois vs. Indiana picks, make sure you check out what SportsLine expert, Emory Hunt, has to say.
Hunt is the founder and CEO of Football Gameplan, which has been supplying analysis of all levels of football since 2007, and a former running back at Louisiana-Lafayette. He knows the game from a player's perspective.
Hunt's dedication to analysis of all levels of college and professional football helped go 93-78-5 (+777) on all college football picks in 2023. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now Hunt has set his sights on Western Illinois vs. Indiana and just locked in his picks and CFB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see Hunt's picks. Here are several college football odds and betting lines for Indiana vs. Western Illinois:
- Indiana vs. Western Illinois spread: Indiana -43.5
- Indiana vs. Western Illinois over/under: 52.5 points
- WIU: The Leathernecks have lost 16 consecutive road games, last winning 38-35 at Youngstown State on Sept. 25, 2021
- IND: The Hoosiers have hit the first-quarter money line in four of their last 11 games (+5.30 units)
- Indiana vs. Western Illinois picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Indiana can cover
Running back Ty Son Lawton, who is a seventh-year senior who began his career in 2018, made an instant impact for the Hoosiers. He carried 16 times for 74 yards (4.6 average) and two touchdowns against Florida International. His best year was in 2021 at Stony Brook, when he rushed 216 times for 1,088 yards (5.0 average) and 10 touchdowns. Last year at James Madison, he rushed 126 times for 568 yards (4.5 average) and five TDs.
Another James Madison transfer making an impact is senior tight end Zach Horton. He caught three passes for 36 yards and a score in last week's win. In two seasons at JMU, he caught 39 passes for 425 yards (10.9 average) and eight touchdowns. His best year was last season, when he hauled in 26 receptions for 266 yards (10.2 average) and six TDs. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why Western Illinois can cover
Senior quarterback Nathan Lamb heads the Leathernecks offense. He is in his second year with the team, after playing two seasons at College of Sequoias. In 2022 at College of Sequoias, he completed 161 of 250 passes for 2,166 yards and 22 touchdowns. In last week's season opener, he completed 17 of 29 passes (58.6%) for 204 yards and one touchdown. He also carried eight times for 28 yards (3.5 average).
Senior running back Cameren Smith also helps power the Western Illinois offense. In the season opener, he carried 14 times for 51 yards (3.6 average), including a long run of 13 yards. He began his collegiate career at Missouri S&T. Last season at Missouri S&T, he led the team in rushing attempts (165), yards (707), rushing touchdowns (12) and yards per game (64.27). He was the GLVC Freshman of the Year in 2022, rushing for 819 yards and eight touchdowns. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Western Illinois vs. Indiana picks
Hunt is leaning Over on the total. He's also found a critical x-factor that has him jumping on one side of the spread. See what it is at SportsLine.
Who wins Indiana vs. Western Illinois, and what critical x-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on Friday, all from the expert who returned $777 to $100 players in 2023.
