On the whole, Bret Bielema has produced a successful first season at Illinois. Bielema took over a demoralized program that lost almost all fan interest. Instead of accepting failure, Bielema sold his players on returning and winning. The Fighting Illini are still in range of earning a bowl berth if they can win their final two games. Specifically, the most difficult of the two is this week at Iowa. It will be Senior Day at Kinnick Stadium. And the Hawkeyes bring an NCAA Football betting defense that is among the best. That doesn’t bode well for Illinois’ popgun offense.
Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Iowa Hawkeyes NCAAF Betting Information
| Date and Time: | Saturday, November 20, 2021, 2 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa |
| Illinois at Iowa TV Coverage: | FS1 |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | +12½ (-110) | 38½ (-110) | +360 |  |
| Iowa | -12½ (-110) | 38½ (-110) | -450 | |
| ||||
Illinois Fighting Illini at Iowa Hawkeyes SBG Odds Overview
In this situation, Iowa will draw most of the casual money. Squares find comfort in a quality Hawkeyes team at home. Especially against an Illinois team seen by the public as subpar. Some bargain hunters will shop the Fighting Illini. They are impressed with Bielema’s improvement of the team. Also, Iowa’s offense is as bad as Illinois. Covering the offshore betting chalk will be seen as a challenge by many skeptical gamblers.
Illinois Fighting Illini Team Overview
Last week Illinois was on a bye. Following a 14-6 win over Minnesota as 14.5-point road favorites. The game went under the total of 44.5. As a result, Illinois is 4-6 straight up, 5-4-1 against the spread, and 1-8-1 over/under. Illinois ranks 118th for total offense and 122nd for scoring offense. Defensively, Illinois ranks 75th overall and 36th for points allowed.
At the beginning of his tenure, Bret Bielema inherited a dilapidated roster. While it will take years to fix the Illini, Bielema is off to a good start. Most important of all, Bielema knows the Big Ten Conference.
Iowa Hawkeyes Team Overview
Last week, Iowa beat Minnesota 27-22 as a 4-point home favorite. The Golden Gophers and Hawkeyes game went over the total of 37. Iowa has a record of 8-2 straight up, 6-4 against the spread, and 3-7 over/under. Overall, Iowa ranks 124th for total offense and 94th for scoring offense. While defensively, the Hawkeyes rank 13th overall and 7th for points allowed.
Alex Padilla threw for two touchdowns and ran for another. Thus, Iowa withstood three fourth-quarter comeback attempts. Padilla took over for injured quarterback Spencer Petras in last week’s 17-12 win at Northwestern. Specifically, against Minnesota, he completed 11 of 24 passes for 206 yards. Padilla had a 1-yard touchdown dive in the second quarter. And then he had touchdown passes of 72 yards to Charlie Jones in the third quarter and 27 yards to Keagan Johnson in the fourth.
Illinois Fighting Illini at Iowa Hawkeyes ATS Stats
- Illinois is 1-4 against the spread vs. Iowa
- The Fighting Illini and Hawkeyes are 4-2 over/under the total
- At Iowa, Illinois is 2-4 vs. the odds against the Hawkeyes
- These two teams are 2-1 over/under the total at Iowa.
Illinois Fighting Illini at Iowa Hawkeyes SBG Free Picks
As mentioned earlier, Iowa gets the NCAA Football Betting money at home against Illinois. Further, the Hawkeyes will be all-in for Senior Day.
Illinois at Iowa SBG Best Bet: Iowa Hawkeyes.