The Illinois Fighting Illini kick off the Bret Bielema Era on Saturday with a home Big Ten matchup against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium. The former Wisconsin and Arkansas coach was hired to replace Lovie Smith, who went 17-39 and never had a winning season in his five years in charge. Nebraska coach Scott Frost also is looking for a positive start as his seat heats up because of his 12-20 mark in three seasons and a looming NCAA investigation. The Illini won last season’s matchup 41-23, but it finished last in the West Division at 2-6, while the Huskers placed fifth at 3-5.
Kickoff from Champaign is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Cornhuskers as seven-point favorites in its latest Nebraska vs. Illinois odds, and the over-under for total points scored is 52.5. Before making any Illinois vs. Nebraska picks, check out the college football predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past five years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of over $3,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. For the 2020 season, it went 56-37 on all top-rated picks and returned over $1,200 on its top-rated spread and over-under picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Nebraska vs. Illinois. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college football odds and trends for Illinois vs. Nebraska:
- Nebraska vs. Illinois: Cornhuskers -7
- Nebraska vs. Illinois over-under: 52.5 points
- Nebraska vs. Illinois money line: Cornhuskers -280, Fighting Illini +230
- NEB: The Huskers are 14-0 all-time in August games.
- ILL: The Illini have won 22 consecutive home openers.
Why Nebraska can cover
Frost is a Cornhuskers legend and will tap into the team’s pride to have it fired up after last year’s humiliating loss. If Nebraska can cut the mistakes, it is confident it can beat an Illinois team it is 6-2 against since joining the Big Ten. The Illini were the second-worst team in the Big Ten in conference games over Lovie Smith’s five seasons (10-34), and Nebraska is 8-7 against the spread on the road under Frost. Nebraska allowed 386 yards (50th in FBS) and 29 points per game last season, while the Illini offense averaged 349 yards (T-98) and scored just 20.
The Huskers coughed the ball up five times in the last meeting, but Adrian Martinez is expected to start, and he played sparingly in that game. He started the 2018 and 2019 matchups and threw for a combined 618 yards and six touchdowns, with just one interception. The Illini defense struggled mightily last season, allowing 467 yards (114th) per game, including 230 on the ground (116th). Nebraska is likely to focus on the running game, as Martinez has posted 1,776 yards (4.7 per carry) and 22 TDs on the ground and is running behind a beefy line.
Why Illinois can cover
Illinois is 9-1 in its past 10 season openers, while the Huskers have lost four straight, and Bielema is 11-1 in such games as an FBS head coach. The Illini dominated last season’s game against a Huskers team favored by 17, and Bielema’s knowledge and past success should breed even more confidence. They racked up 490 yards, including 285 on the ground, and forced five turnovers in the victory. The core of that Illini team is back, including running backs Mike Epstein and Chase Brown, who combined for 223 yards (7.7 per carry) and three TDs.
The Fighting Illini have 18 starters returning, including quarterback Brandon Peters, who provides stability after missing three games last season. The team used four different QBs because of injuries and the pandemic, and Peters played well against the Huskers. He threw for 205 yards and ran for 36, with two total touchdowns. The Illinois defense has improved its pass rush and linebacking corps, and it could cause problems for the mistake-prone Martinez. The junior has been sacked 57 times, fumbled 32 and thrown 20 interceptions in three seasons.
How to make Illinois vs. Nebraska picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 54 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in 60 percent of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Nebraska vs. Illinois? And which side of the spread hits in 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on Saturday, all from the model that has crushed its college football picks, and find out.
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