Game Information
#9 Illinois Fighting Illini (2-0) vs Western Michigan Broncos (0-2)
Time: 6pm CT Saturday
How to watch: FS1
DraftKings Odds
Spread: Illinois -27.5
Total: 50.5
The #11 Illinois Fighting Illini look to keep on rolling when they meet the Western Michigan Broncos on Saturday night in Champaign.
The Illini went on the road and posted a very impressive 45-19 win at Duke this past weekend. The victory vaulted Illinois up to #9 in the AP poll, and they are now on a six-game winning streak, which is tied for the longest active streak in the country.
Similar to our other local major college football team in Mizzou, Illinois is in a sandwich spot on Saturday.
The Illini had the big road win against an ACC team last week, and next week they travel to face a ranked conference opponent in #22 Indiana. In between, they get a Western Michigan team that is 0-2 on the season, including a 23-6 defeat at Michigan State in Week 1.
Illinois is a 27.5 point favorite here, so they should be able to name their score in this game. One line of thought is the Illini might take their foot off the gas early to keep everyone healthy and get ready for the Hoosiers next weekend.
But I lean Illini in this game because I think they are more likely to want to pour it on the Broncos.
Illinois is clearly a playoff contender, but they have only two ranked teams on the schedule in Indiana and Ohio State. If the Illini finish 10-2 with no wins over ranked teams, I think there is a very good chance the committee leaves them out. So I think they will want to rack up some style points and not put themselves in a position where the committee can point to them and say, “Well, you only beat Western Michigan by 14.”
The Illini have a special season brewing. They’re already 2-0 against the spread, and as the saying goes, “Good teams win, but great teams cover.” Look for Illinois to keep the great times rolling and move to 3-0 ATS.
Lean: Illinois -27.5 at -112 on DraftKings
Eric Sontag hosts Domesticated Gamblers every Wednesday night on the STL Sports Central YouTube channel. Follow him on X @GamblingDads, and click here for his daily picks on all of our St. Louis area sports teams. Picks = betting the game - minus odds betting to win 1 unit, plus odds risking 1 unit. Leans = no strong opinion, not betting the game. Disclaimer