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The Kansas Jayhawks and Illinois Fighting Illini aren’t two teams that go together in college sports, but they will face each other for the second consecutive season in Week 2. Kansas won the meeting last season 34-23. They’ll put their undefeated records against each other on Saturday night. It is time to continue our college football odds series with a Kansas-Illinois prediction and pick.
The media voted Kansas No. 9 in the Big 12 preseason poll before the 2023 season, but they did them one better with an eighth-place finish and a 5-4 conference record. They finished their season with a 49-39 victory in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl against UNLV. They finished the season with a 9-4 record but lost only one game by more than one possession. Kansas’ offense was lights out in their season-opening 48-3 win over Lindenwood. They outgained their opponents by 318 yards, racking up 530 total. It was a promising start to the season, but Lindenwood doesn’t offer much opposition.
Illinois also looked dominant in their season-opener, defeating Eastern Illinois 45-0. The Fighting Illini had a 31-0 lead at halftime, which allowed them to rest up in anticipation of this matchup with Kansas. They outgained Eastern Illinois 486-196 and forced four turnovers. They held Eastern Illinois to just 49 rushing yards, while quarterback Luke Altmyer led the offense with four touchdown passes.
Here are the College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Kansas-Illinois Odds
Kansas: -5.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -205
Illinois: +5.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +168
Over: 57.5 (-110)
Under: 57.5 (-110)
How to Watch Kansas vs. Illinois
Time: 7:00 PM ET/4:00 PM PT
TV: Fox Sports 1
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Kansas Could Cover The Spread/Win
The biggest question is whether Jalon Daniels is ready to face Big Ten competition. Kansas eased him back into the lineup against Lindenwood, but he must be ready for the improved Illinois defense. The Fighting Illini had a poor defense in 2023, and Daniels could be successful in this matchup if his injury concerns are behind him.
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Why Illinois Could Cover The Spread/Win
Illinois’ offense couldn’t contend with Kansas in last season’s meeting between these two teams, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be able to do it this season. They should have a year of improvement from Luke Altmyer under center. He’ll also have new targets in Pat Bryant and Zakhari Franklin, which should increase his stock.
Kansas will also have a disadvantage against Illinois’ emerging running back Kaden Feagin. He is a massive human at 6-foot-3, 250 pounds, and could dominate the Jayhawks’ defensive line. Kansas lost Austin Booker since last season and tried to improve their defensive line by adding FCS transfers. They didn’t bring in all poor players, but having to stop Feagin will give them trouble.
Illinois also has a new-look defense which should be intriguing to watch after shutting out Eastern Illinois. Allowing zero points to a team like that doesn’t tell us much, but they have improved after taking a step back in 2023. The Fighting Illini were reeling after losing Devon Witherspoon and defensive coordinator Ryan Walters but should be more settled in this season.
Final Kansas-Illinois Prediction & Pick
Part of Jalon Daniels’ success before the 2023 season was his ability as a dual-threat quarterback. He missed most of the 2023 season with a back injury, which could explain why Kansas’ new offensive coordinator didn’t feature him in the run game. If Daniels is still unable to utilize his legs and Illinois allows Feagin to run over the Kansas defense, it could be a big day for the Fighting Illini at home.
Final Kansas-Illinois Prediction & Pick: Illinois +5.5 (-110)
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Publish date : 2024-09-05 12:40:00
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