Illinois football vs. Toledo Rockets – 5 best betting lines

At 6:30 p.m. CT, the Illinois football team will kick off the 2023 season against the Toledo Rockets.

I am ready for the Illini to take the field. It has been such a long time since football was on the television, but the wait is just about over.

If you can, there are some good bets for the Illinois game as well. You can watch the Illini while also making money off your beloved team.

Here are the Illinois football vs. Toledo Rockets five best betting lines

• Luke Altymer passing yards – Under 192.5

While Toledo sounds like a bad team, they actually have a pretty good defense. The Rockets’ secondary was one of the best in the nation in 2022.

Toledo managed to only allow 191.8 yards per game through the air in 2022, which ranked No. 17 in the country. A large swath of that secondary returns, led by cornerback Quinyon Mitchell. He had five interceptions last season.

Illinois is also a running team. I imagine we will be handing the ball off early and often. With this being Altmyer’s first game under center for the Illini, I think they will ease him into throwing the ball. Even when he does throw it, I am guessing they will be shorter passes. I think the under 192.5 passing yards for Altmyer is a lock.

• Dequan Finn rushing yards – Over 31.5

Illinois is dealing with a Toledo team that is okay at throwing the ball, but they do their best work on the ground. They have a nice stable of running backs returning to the roster, and their best ball carrier might be quarterback, Dequan Finn.

Finn rushed for 631 yards in 2022. Out of the 12 games he played, Finn would hit at least 32 yards rushing in nine contests.

The Illini can play some great pass coverage, and with Finn’s passing not the greatest, I think he will be a willing runner on Saturday. Look for Finn to pull the ball down early in the drop-back. He will likely break a run or two off in space. This will get him over the 31.5 yards rushing on the day.

• Pat Bryant receiving yards – Under 26.5

I think Pat Bryant is a great player and later on in the season, he is going to be a huge asset to this Illinois offense. But early on, I don’t expect Bryant to have a huge impact.

In 2022, Bryant was able to finish with 34 receptions for 453 yards and two touchdowns. He did eclipse 26 yards in all but two games, which makes me a little nervous.

The vision I have for Saturday’s game against Toledo is that Illinois will run the ball the most. When we do drop back to pass, I think they will be short and quick. There will be a lot of passes around the line of scrimmage to Isaiah Williams where he can get a lot of yards after catch. I also believe Tip Reiman will be used in the middle of the defense.

I am not sure how much Illinois is actually going to throw it downfield. I would imagine we take a few shots, but Bryant could easily finish this game with a couple of catches for 15-20 yards. Look for these numbers to increase as the season goes on, but that is why I am taking the under 26.5 yards against Toledo.

• 1st half total points – Under 23.5

Illinois has a pretty good defense, even though we lost a few pieces from that dominating unit last year. That doesn’t mean this team is going to take a step backward, though.

The Illini front six is impressive. I think our secondary will get in a groove too. We got to see a glimpse of the young guys in the bowl game, and they held Mississippi State in check.

Toledo also has a solid defense. Their secondary is really good, and I think that will hurt Illinois from moving the ball. I also believe we will run the ball a lot. This will eat up the clock, as the Illini will have long drives.

Look for the first half to go quickly, as there will be multiple possessions of over seven minutes. Even if those result in a score, it still won’t add up to 23.5 points. Take the under in the first half.

• 1st score method 3-way – Field goal

You have a chance to bet on how the first score will be scored. The options are touchdown, field goal, and safety.

I feel like this Illinois football team can put the ball in the end zone, but I am not sure how much of that will happen in the first half. I think we will get drives going, but with the inexperience at quarterback, there could be some drives that stall out in the red zone.

Illinois’ defense is also conducive to allowing just field goals and not touchdowns. Teams can get a big play or two on a series, but things usually stall out in the red zone because of the tremendous Illini defense locking down.

Look for the first points of the game to come via a field goal. You are getting +160 on this bet. If you can afford it, lay the mortgage on this bet.