Odds, Picks and Predictions
The Illinois Fighting Illini and Indiana Hoosiers will go head-to-head on Friday.
This game represents the season opener for Indiana. Meanwhile, Illinois took care of business against Wyoming last week, defeating them by a final score of 38-6.
Bettors who took the Fighting Illini were rewarded in a major way. Illinois covered the spread and then some. But getting the job done against Indiana on the road will be a far more difficult challenge.
This projects to be a competitive affair. Can Illinois carry their momentum into this one, or will Indiana’s first game energy lead them to the victory?
Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 PM EST on Friday, September 2nd, at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana.
Illinois Fighting Illini at Indiana Hoosiers Info
Location: Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana
Date: Friday, September 2nd, 2022
Time: 8:00 PM EST
TV: FS1
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Indiana enters this game as a favorite. The Hoosiers endured a brutal 2021 campaign. But they believe they are on track to turn things around this season.
Kicking off the year with a home victory would be a great way to build momentum.
But Illinois won’t be intimidated on the road. They improved the team in most areas of the game and are confident they will be able to enjoy a successful season.
The three-point spread is reasonable. Indiana is a better team than their record indicated a season ago. They are going to be a force this year, and Illinois will need to be at the top of their game to pull off the upset.
Let’s break down the betting trends.
Betting Trends
- The Illinois Fighting Illini were 7-4-1 against the spread last season.
- The Indiana Hoosiers were 2-10 against the spread last year.
- The Fighting Illini were 4-1 against the spread when playing on the road.
- The Hoosiers were 1-5 against the spread when playing at their home field.
- Illinois was 6-3 against the spread as an underdog last year.
- Indiana was 1-2 against the spread as a favorite last year.
- The Fighting Illini were 4-1 against the spread when playing as an away underdog.
- The Hoosiers were 1-1 against the spread when playing as a home favorite.
The Fighting Illini were much better against the spread last season. Their 7-4-1 ATS record was respectable, and they are already 1-0 this season.
Meanwhile, the Hoosiers were downright bad ATS. But this is a new team that believes they are much better in 2022. This game will give us a chance to see how they have improved.
Betting on Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois dominated their first game of the year. It was truly an electric performance by the Fighting Illini.
Quarterback Tommy DeVito stepped up and went 27-37 through the air. DeVito added 194 passing yards to go along with two touchdowns.
If DeVito can continue playing well, the Fighting Illini will reap the benefits all year long.
Running Back Chase Brown was probably the MVP in this game. He tallied 151 yards on 19 rushes and found the endzone twice. His running prowess was on full display, and Wyoming had no answer.
The defense also played well. They limited Wyoming to just six total points while adding an interception.
But as discussed earlier, Indiana will be a tougher matchup. The Fighting Illini can’t take this game for granted.
Betting on Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana enters this game fresh off the heels of a 2-10 season. They were expected to compete last year but went in the exact opposite direction.
Head coach Tom Allen revealed his mindset ahead of the season, per The Journal Gazette.
“You lose some close games and you lose some players and it just really snowballs on you,” Tom Allen said “I think we have a great culture. No place is perfect, but we attract guys that believe in what we’re doing and who fit with us. 2022’s going to show you, what was the outlier? Was it ’20 or ’21?”
Indiana has a number of players set to return and has some exciting prospects ready to make some noise this year. They seem to have left last year in the rearview mirror and are prepared for a fresh start.
The defense labored immensely last year. Although the offense had struggles, the defense never gave them a chance to win. If the Hoosiers’ defense can perform better in 2022, that will automatically put them in a better position.
They need to use their home-field advantage as well. Last season, this team was abysmal ATS. They were 1-5 ATS when playing at their home field. It will be interesting to see how they perform at home to open the 2022 campaign.
Illinois Fighting Illini at Indiana Hoosiers Picks and Predictions
So who gets the job done on Friday? Can the Fighting Illinois start their season 2-0, or will the Hoosiers open the year with a win?
This game is difficult to predict since we don’t know what to expect from the Hoosiers. On paper, they have the ability to win. But we thought that plenty of times last year, and that did not turn out well.
But I am expecting Indiana to turn a corner this year. I don’t think this is a national championship contender or anything similar to that. But the Hoosiers are not going to be as bad as they were in 2021.
They simply have too many returning seniors to post such underwhelming results once again.
Indiana is going to show the college football world that they should be taken seriously with a strong performance on Friday against Illinois.
The Picks:
- Go ahead and take the Indiana Hoosiers as your moneyline (straight up) betting selection in this game.
- Take the over on the implied point total in this one.
- Roll with the Indiana Hoosiers -3 with your Friday night spread betting
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