Illinois vs Indiana prediction, game preview, how to watch. Week 1, Friday, September 2
Illinois vs Indiana How To Watch
Date: Friday, September 2
Game Time: 8:00 ET
Venue: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN
How To Watch: FS1
Record: Illinois (1-0), Indiana (0-0)
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Illinois vs Indiana Game Preview
Why Illinois Will Win
Can the Indiana offense find something that works?
The running game was bad, the passing attack struggled, and the turnovers flowed freely throughout the lost 2021. As bad as the O was, the D was uglier.
It wasn’t bad against the run, but it couldn’t generate any pressure on the way to allowing just over 33 points per game. It’s going to take a little work to get this group to take over games.
The Illinois secondary will be a strength early on with a good group of veterans helped out be an improved pass rush – it held Wyoming to just 30 yards in the 38-6 Week 0 win.
As long as the Illini offense can grind it out and control the clock – the line should be able to handle the Hoosier defensive front without too much of a problem – the D should be able to take care of the rest.
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Why Indiana Will Win
It’s not like the Illinois offense will come out and crank up 50 points on a regular basis.
Once again the program is trying to fix the glitch with another quarterback option – Syracuse’s Tommy DeVito is an interesting option – but it’s going to be all about the running game.
Indiana has to load up against the run and do whatever it can to get to the quarterback and dare the Illini to try generating a push against the improved defensive front.
DT JH Tevis from Cal, DE Myles Jackson from UCLA, and big LeDarrius Cox from Ole Miss should make a huge improvement.
Offensively, Auburn’s Shaun Shivers from Auburn and Josh Henderson from North Carolina will make an instant impact for a running game that needed more pop.
Get anything going offensively, and that might be enough. Again, the Illinois offense won’t put up big yards and points in chunks.
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What’s Going To Happen
How much will it matter that Illinois was able to tune up and roll against Wyoming?
A lot.
Illinois has its quarterback now in Syracuse transfer Tommy DeVito, and Chase Brown is looking like a star after running for 151 yards and two scores.
Both offenses will be better than they were last season, but teams will get better quarterback play, better production from the backs, and …
Illinois has the better defense.
Don’t gear up for a ton of big plays and points, but it’ll be a fun, competitive battle that comes down to a few late drives and possibly a kick to end the night.
Illinois vs Indiana Prediction, Line
Illinois 27, Indiana 24
Line: Indiana -3.5, o/u: 46
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3
Illinois vs Indiana Must See Rating: 3
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1: Aidan Hutchinson’s rendition of ‘Billie Jean’
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