How will Nebraska's Emmett Johnson fare against Illinois?
College football fans will be happy that they don't have to wait until Saturday to see some solid action. The Friday night card provides a fabulous matchup between two stellar Big Ten teams. Get the top predictions for Illinois at Nebraska here! Best of luck with your picks!
Fighting Illini Off to Good Start
#24 Illinois heads to Lincoln, Nebraska to take on the #22 Cornhuskers in a Big 10 battle on Friday night. The Illini (3-0) already picked up a win over a ranked team when they defeated then #19 Kansas in week two 23-17.
They then handled Central Michigan last week 30-9. On the season, the Illini are ranked 6th in the country in terms of turnover ratio (+2.0). That, combined with a healthy balance of run and pass on offense has led them to this undefeated start to the season.
Luke Altmyer is completing almost 70% of his passes and averages 215 yards per game through the air. He has thrown 0 interceptions to his 6 touchdowns to this point. The rushing attack is led by Kaden Feagin, but his numbers have continuously dropped as the season has gone on from 108 in the opener to just 25 last week.
Cornhuskers Defense Looks Nasty!
The Cornhuskers are also undefeated as they head into this conference clash with the Illini. They have not faced a ranked team yet, but they did dismantle the Colorado Buffaloes in week two 28-10.
While Dylan Raiola, the Cornhuskers QB, has been the story of the season with comparison to Patrick Mahomes in both style of play and downright doppelgänger type looks; The Cornhuskers have been getting it done on the defensive end.
As a team, Nebraska ranks 9th in the country, allowing an average of just 8.5 points per game to opponents. Dante Dowdell has led the rushing attack with 184 yards on the season but his backfield partner, Emmett Johnson has racked up 124 yards as well.
Best Bet: Nebraska Cornhuskers -8.5
The Illini have not faced a defense of this caliber yet this season and while they have been balanced on their offensive attack, they are going to need some dynamic plays to put any pressure on this defense.
For Nebraska, they will be comfortable in their home stadium for the 4th straight game to start the season and we believe Raiola and company will get the job done and win this one by double-digits.
Key Betting Trends for Illinois at Nebraska
Illinois is 1-5-1 ATS in their last 7 games played in September.
Illinois is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games played in week 4.
Illinois is 1-9 ATS in their last 10 games played on a Friday.
Follow EatWatchBet on Google News to stay updated with our latest stories! Click the icon, and our betting picks and tips will be added to your Google News feed.
Bill Christy is a seasoned bettor who operates his own handicapping business. As a senior writer, Bill provides in-depth analysis and identifies edges across several sports at EatWatchBet, including the NFL, CFB, NBA, CBB, and UFC.
