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Illinois comes into their game against Penn State as a big +18 underdog on the spread.
That's enticing to be sure. The Fighting Illini are 4-0. Penn State is 3-0. Both teams are ranked. Illinois is No. 19 and Penn State No. 9.
Heading on over to Sagarin we see that the number should be 13.56.
Now what happens if they win outright and you are backing Illinois on the moneyline? The payout there is $600 to $680 for every $100 bet.
Illinois has not been 4-0 since 2011 and this has only happened four times since 1936.
“The part that our guys really relish in is, I think, we are always playing the underdog role,” Illinois coach Bret Bielema said. “We always say we don't have one chip on our shoulder, we have two."
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Fresh off a gritty overtime comeback at Nebraska last week, the Fighting Illini are 4-0 for the first time since 2011. Now, they have a chance to turn an already promising season into something special if they can endure the droning cacophony of Beaver Stadium and knock off their third ranked opponent in four weeks. The Nittany Lions generated a program-record 718 total yards of offense against Kent State and want to keep that momentum going under the lights.
KEY MATCHUP
Illinois’ offensive line vs. Penn State’s pass rush. The Nittany Lions regularly field one of the nation’s best pass rushes, but they’ve managed just four sacks so far. That doesn’t mean they haven’t been close. They’ve got double-digit pressures despite teams using quick passing plays to mostly neutralize their edge defenders. If Illinois can keep QB Luke Altmyer upright, he can make plays down the field.
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