Illinois Football: Betting odds and advice for the Illini vs Minnesota

A huge win over Iowa on Saturday has put the Illinois football team in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2011.

Seeing the Illini in the rankings is something I didn’t think I would witness this soon in the Bret Bielema era. But Illinois has earned the No. 24 spot with their 5-1 start to the 2022 campaign. Next up is a tough Minnesota bunch.

What does FanDuel think about the Illini and the potential for us to come out victorious this Saturday, though?

Here are the betting odds and advice for the Illinois football team vs Minnesota.

Spread: Illinois +6.5; Minnesota -6.5

FanDuel is opening with a tough line for the Illinois game on Saturday. They have the Illini getting 6.5 points while Minnesota is giving up 6.5 points.

I understand why the line is the way it is, though. Minnesota is going to have running back Mohamed Ibrahim in their backfield. He has been injured lately, but the talented ball carrier is healthy and ready to go.

The last time Ibrahim played against the Illini, he ran for a career-high 224 yards in a 41-14 victory in 2020. But the thing that isn’t showing is how different this Illinois defense is compared to that 2020 campaign.

Illinois is only giving up 67.4 yards per game on the ground, which ranks No. 3 in the nation. It is going to be fun to watch an elite running going up against an elite defense.

The same could be said for the other way around too. Illinois has an elite running back in Chase Brown going up against a Minnesota defense that only gives up 93 yards per game on the ground, which ranks No. 9 in the nation.

I honestly believe these are two similar teams. That means this game is going to be extremely close. Being at home, I think the Illini come within 6.5 points.

Prediction: Illinois +6.5

Moneyline: Illinois +210; Minnesota -260

All aboard the value train. Holy moly, this is enticing. Illinois is starting the week off at +210. A ranked Illinois team that is playing some good football is that big of an underdog, crazy.

As mentioned above, these two teams are pretty similar. Both have great running backs and defenses. The game is probably coming down to turnovers and the play of each quarterback.

Illinois has been forcing turnovers at a high rate this season. We pull in 2.2 turnovers per game, which ranks No. 10 in the nation. Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan is susceptible to throwing interceptions as well.

This season alone, Morgan has thrown seven touchdowns to four interceptions. He also struggled last season against a Ryan Walters defense. Morgan threw for 180 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions with a 53.6% completion rate.

I think this game comes down to Illinois forcing a few turnovers and keeping Morgan in check. This is an amazing value bet.

Prediction: Illinois

Over/Under: 39.5 points

There is one thing that is certain, both Illinois and Minnesota are going to run the ball a lot on Saturday.

Ibrahim has played well this season, but his 567 yards and 6.4 yards per carry have come against some bad rush defenses. Michigan State is the best run defense Ibrahim has gone up against, and they rank No. 70 in the country.

The other teams Ibrahim has played have been ranked – Western Illinois is not ranked because they are in the FCS, Colorado is No. 131, which is the worst rush defense in the country, and New Mexico State is No. 113 in the nation.

I think Illinois can keep Ibrahim contained on Saturday. This would slow Minnesota’s offense down greatly. But I also think Illinois could struggle offensively as well.

Brown is going up against a top 10 Minnesota rush defense. On top of that, quarterback Tommy DeVito’s status is up in the air. I assume they won’t confirm that until game time. So, that leaves some question marks for the Illini.

With two great defenses battling, and two one-trick pony offenses, this game screams under.

Prediction: Under 39.5 points

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.