Nebraska Opens as Big Road Favorite at Illinois in Big Ten Football Opener

The 2021 College Football season is approaching and WynnBET has released odds for the Week 0 matchup between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Illinois Fighting Illini. 

Nebraska has opened as a -290 road favorite to beat Illinois and new head coach Bret Bielema in the season opener. The Illini are just +230 underdogs. 

This shouldn’t come as too big of a surprise, as Illinois is projected to be the worst team in the Big Ten next season after firing Lovie Smith. Bielema is taking over a team that finished the 2020 season with a 2-6 record and was dead last in the conference defensively, allowing 467.2 yards per game. 

Nebraska, who hasn’t had a winning season since the 2016 season under Mike Riley, is looking for its first campaign over .500 under Scott Frost. However, WynnBET has Nebraska’s win total for the 2021 season set at 6.5, showing that the team is expected to play better in 2021. 

Starting the season off against Illinois will be a good litmus test for the Huskers, as they will find out just how much better they are than the Big Ten’s worst team. If Nebraska can blowout Illinois, it would bode well for its outlook the rest of the season. 

Both teams are returning their starting quarterbacks from last season (Brandon Peters for Illinois and Adrian Martinez for Nebraska). That continuity should help both teams on offense, but with Illinois’ questionable defense, WynnBET has the total set at 55.5 points in this matchup. 

Illinois vs. Nebraska Prediction/Pick

The fighting Illini are going to have to rebuild their program after losing several players to the transfer portal after Smith was let go. 

With a win total of just 3.5, I don’t see Illinois taking down Nebraska to open the season, but I think there is some value in taking the Cornhuskers, who are seven-point favorites, to cover the spread (-110). 

The Huskers were 4-4 against the spread last season, but they were 1-0 as a road favorite like they will be against the Fighting Illini. Frost could be coaching for his job this season, and the Huskers have a great chance to start the season off strong as they try to rise back to supremacy in the Big Ten.

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