The ninth-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini battle the No. 19 Indiana Hoosiers in a Big Ten opener for both teams on Saturday night. Illinois is coming off a 38-0 win over Western Michigan, while Indiana crushed Indiana State 73-0 in Week 3. The Fighting Illini (3-0), who finished in a tie with Iowa for fifth in the Big Ten at 6-3 and were 10-3 overall last season, are 3-2 on the road over the past two years. The Hoosiers (3-0), who tied with Penn State for second in the conference at 8-1 and were 11-2 overall, are 11-0 at home since the start of 2024.
Kickoff from Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind., is at 7:30 p.m. ET. Illinois leads the all-time series 46-25-3, including a 48-45 win in their last meeting in 2023. The Hoosiers are 7-point favorites in the latest Illinois vs. Indiana odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 52.5 via SportsLine consensus. Before making any Indiana vs. Illinois picks, check out the college football predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
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The model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a betting profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college spread football picks, and is a profitable 32-20 combined on money-line and over/under college football picks since the beginning of 2024. Anybody following its college football betting picks at sportsbooks and on betting sites could have seen strong returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Illinois vs. Indiana. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the FBS college football odds and trends for Indiana vs. Illinois:
Illinois vs. Indiana spread
Indiana -7 at DraftKings Sportsbook
Illinois vs. Indiana over/under
52.5 points
Illinois vs. Indiana money line
Indiana -265, Illinois +213
Illinois vs. Indiana picks
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Why Indiana can cover
Junior transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza is off to a fast start to his Hoosiers career. The former California signal caller has completed 55 of 76 passes (72.4%) for 708 yards and nine touchdowns without an interception. He has also rushed 15 times for 72 yards and a pair of scores. In three collegiate seasons, Mendoza has completed 67.1% of his passes for 5,420 yards and 39 touchdowns with 16 interceptions and a 145.4 rating. In last week’s win over Indiana State, he completed 19 of 20 passes for 270 yards and five touchdowns.
Junior wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. is among Indiana’s top receivers. In the win over Indiana State, he caught 10 passes for 207 yards and four touchdowns. He has 13 receptions for 299 yards and four touchdowns in three games this season. For his career, Cooper has 59 receptions for 1,160 yards (19.7 average) and 13 touchdowns. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why Illinois can cover
Redshirt senior Luke Altmyer is in his third season with the Fighting Illini after spending two years at Mississippi. In three games this year, he has completed 56 of 78 passes (71.8%) for 709 yards and eight touchdowns. In a 45-19 win over Duke on Sept. 6, he completed 22 of 31 passes (71%) for 296 yards and three touchdowns. In parts of five collegiate seasons, he has completed 470 of 749 passes (62.8%) for 5,626 yards and 46 touchdowns with 19 interceptions.
Senior wide receiver Hank Beatty has been Altmyer’s go-to guy in the passing attack. He leads the Fighting Illini with 19 receptions for 289 yards (15.2 average) and one touchdown. In the win over Duke, he caught eight passes for 128 yards, including a long of 36, and had one carry for a 25-yard touchdown. In four seasons at Illinois, he has 54 receptions for 673 yards (12.5 average) and two touchdowns. See which team to back at SportsLine.
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How to make Illinois vs. Indiana picks
SportsLine’s model is going Over on the total, projecting 56 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Indiana vs. Illinois, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Illinois vs. Indiana spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that finished up over $2,000 on its FBS college football picks since its inception, and find out.
