Free Pick: Indiana Hoosiers vs. Illinois Fighting Illini | Betting Preview

The Indiana Hoosiers and Illinois Fighting Illini matchup in a Big Ten showdown at Memorial Stadium (Champaign, IL) in Champaign, IL. The over/under for this matchup is currently 43.5, while Illinois is favored by -6.5.

Indiana Hoosiers (3-6 SU, ATS 4-3) vs Illinois Fighting Illini (4-5 SU, ATS 2-7)
Date: Saturday, November 11th
Location: Memorial Stadium (Champaign, IL), Champaign, IL
TV: BTN
Point Spread: Indiana +6.5/Illinois -6.5
Money Line: Indiana +203/Illinois -259
Over/Under: 43.5

Head-to-Head Matchup:

The last time Indiana and Illinois faced off came last year, ending in a 23-20 win for Indiana. When looking at how the two offenses performed in this game, Indiana ran for 32 yards while throwing for 330. As for Illinois, they finished with 232 while running for 216.

Indiana Hoosiers Recent Form:

Indiana comes into this game with an overall record of 3-6. In their most recent game, they beat Wisconsin by a score of 20-14.

Combining for 34 points, the under hit in this matchup with a line of 44. Indiana covered the spread, as they were 7.5-point underdogs going into the game.

In Indiana’s recent win, quarterback Brendan Sorsby not only tossed one touchdown but also rushed for one touchdown. Throughout the game, he threw for a total of 186 yards while achieving a completion rate of 61.3%.

Despite carrying the ball 15 times against Wisconsin, Josh Henderson was unable to score a rushing touchdown and finished with 40 yards in the game for Indiana. The team’s leading receiver was Donaven McCulley, who contributed one touchdown and caught five balls for 67 yards.

Defensively, Indiana allowed a total of 344 yards to Wisconsin. This includes giving up 101 yards allowed on the ground and 243 passing yards. Coming into this week’s game, the Indiana defense is 106th in points allowed at 28 points per game. So far, teams have averaged 199.4 passing yards per game vs. the unit (53rd). On the ground, they are giving up 163.6 rushing yards, putting them 114th in college football.

Away Injury Report

Illinois Fighting Illini Recent Form:

Illinois enters this game with an overall record of 4-5. In their latest matchup, they secured a victory over Minnesota with a final score of 27-26.

Not only did Illinois win straight-up, they also covered the spread as 3-point underdogs. The team’s 53 combined points surpassed the over/under line of 43.5.

In the win vs. Minnesota, quarterback Luke Altmyer finished with a QB rating of 113.91 while completing 24 of 31 passes for 212 yards. He also ended the game with three touchdowns.

Finishing the game with 89 yards on the ground, Kaden Feagin led Illinois in rushing against Minnesota. However, he did not run for a touchdown in the game. Isaiah Williams had a stellar performance as the team’s top receiver, scoring two touchdowns and making 13 receptions for 131 yards.

The Fighting Illini’s defense finished the game by giving up 262 total yards to Minnesota. The team’s run defense allowed 95 yards rushing compared to 167 in the passing game. Illinois’ defense sits at 103rd for points allowed, allowing 27.6 points per game. So far, teams have been averaging 227.4 passing yards per game against them (88th nationally). On the ground, they’re yielding 154.9 rushing yards, ranking them 101st in college football.

Home Injury Report

Betting Trends

• Looking at Indiana’s three most recent road games, they have put together a record vs. the spread of 1-2.
• Illinois’ ATS record at home (last five) is 3-2.
• In the three most recent times they were the underdog, Illinois has put together an ATS record of 2-1.
• Indiana is 4-6 in their last ten games as the favorite.

Free Pick

Both teams are coming off big wins last week, and Illinois comes into this one favored by 6.5 at home. Even though Indiana pulled off a surprising upset over Wisconsin, I don’t see Illinois’ defense being as bad as Wisconsin’s in terms of 3rd down defense. Look for the Illini to pick up the win and cover the spread.