Illinois Fighting Illini (3-0) vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-0)
Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers September 20 2024 – With the college football season growing thicker, a fascinating contest is scheduled beneath the Friday Reunion of Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska. The Illinois Fighting Illini and the Nebraska Cornhuskers both boast of a perfect 3-0 record, making this Week 4 fixture quite crucial in their respective campaigns. There will be plenty of action, as well as value, in this game for both the fans and the bettors, as we highlighted in our latest NCAAF free previews.
Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers September 20 2024 Game Info
| When: | Friday, September 20, 2024 at 8:00 PM ET |
| Where: | Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE |
| TV: | FOX |
| Stream: | Sofascore |
Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers Betting Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
| Illinois | +260 | +8.5 (-110) | Over 46.5 (-110) |
| Nebraska | -330 | -8.5 (-110) | Under 46.5 (-110) |
At home, the Cornhuskers are favored to win with a spread of -8.5, suggesting the oddsmakers are confident that the Cornhuskers will dominate the game against Illinois. However, the Fighting Illini have managed to cover the spread in four of the last five contests against the Nebraska Cornhuskers which means that they may shock them again.
Luke Altmyer QB vs. Dylan Raiola QB
Luke Altmyer has been impressive for Illinois this season so far completing 71.4 Percent passes for 405 yards and 4 touchdowns without throwing an interception. Completing the pass and sack evasion are two of the most often noticed weaknesses of the first year. Fighting against stout Nebraska defense will require Altmyer to be decisive and accurate.
Nebraska’s quarterback Dylan Raiola has been practiced and accurate in 73.7% of his attempted passes over 423 passed yards. What could be viewed as a downside of Raiola is his lower yards per attempt number which is not far from Altmyer’s, due to his less than considerable sacking (-6 sack yards lost) ability being so prominent in close situations.
The advantage of both quarterbacks will be very beneficial to their respective teams as they prepare for battle. Filling the role of Raiola will surely be as tough as distributing the ball indoors within Illinois defence as his consistent aim and release of the ball mid-range will do the Mulherins well and on the other, Altmyer’s speed and crisp plays will be a threat to the Cornhuskers’ defence.
Fighting Illini’s Ground and Air Attack
The Illinois offense has been quite consistent as well, and much of that has come from the contribution of Kaden Feagin and Pat Bryant. Feagin has been doing his fair share through the ground with 148 yards in nine carries and running in two touchdowns thus giving the Fighting Illini a useful rushing alternative. On his part, Bryant who is a favorite target for Altmyer, managed to record receiving yards of 133 with two ongoing touchdowns. This two-way potential from Illinois may be able to take advantage of the weaknesses in the Chippewas defense, particularly the secondary.
Cornhuskers’ Offensive Playmakers
In return, Nebraska has a formidable weapon in Dante Dowdell and Isaiah Neyor who lead the offense. Dowdell himself has contributed to this cause with a phenomenal 5.2 renew yards every time he’s on the rushing end and has landed the ball three times into the end zone. This has given Nebraska a fantastic running game even as its passing game has shown effectiveness. His skill of making such big receptions including a 59-yard high lightens his big play potential which will help in beating the Illinois coverage.
Illinois Fighting Illini Betting Trends
Regardless of whether they play home or away, Illinois has always done a good job in covering spreads particularly away from home where they are 11-3 ATS in the last 14 outings. The trend of going under the total points suggests that the last game relied heavily on their defense which was critical in keeping the game close against Nebraska and will be necessary if the team hopes to win in the return match.
Nebraska Cornhuskers Betting Trends
Nebraska has been strong at home, but the same struggles cannot be said about their games with Big Ten teams as they have lost 1 out of the last 5 conference games. They have been buoyed by a tendency to play overs recently as seen from their recent games, and this might continue if the team manages to contain the offensive threats of Illinois.
Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers Betting Previews
This is one of the classic matchups where offense takes on defense, and in this case, the playmakers of Illinois line up against the defense of Nebraska. Although Nebraska is the team under greater physical pressure, it is worth noting that Illinois consistently manages to surprise and has been quite powerful against the spread so they are unlikely to lose the cover again.
Seeing the trends of both teams and understanding this particular contest is as crucial as a conference game can be in the early part of the season, so it is prudent to proceed with betting with caution. This said, for those who have an inclination toward prop bets, you may want to look more into players such as Feagin and Neyor as those two might offer more upside than typical. All things considered, it is going to be a competitive and close game. For the best betting strategy, one could use the best betting sites in order to find the best odds as well as the variety of betting markets.
Score Prediction: Nebraska 24, Illinois 20.
