Nebraska vs Illinois Prediction, Game Preview

Nebraska vs Illinois prediction and game preview. Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL, 1:00 ET on FOX

Nebraska vs Illinois Week 0 college football prediction and game preview.


Nebraska vs Illinois Broadcast

Date: Saturday, August 28
Game Time: 1:00 ET
Venue: Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL
Network: FOX

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Nebraska (0-0) vs Illinois (0-0) Game Preview


Why Nebraska Will Win

The ground game should be able to take over right away.

The passing attack might be a tad iffy until a few new playmakers emerge, but the Huskers have a good group of backs around QB Adrian Martinez, and the offensive front will be fine despite losing the two top parts from last year’s line. This isn’t going to be a top Illinois defense quite yet – if at all.

There’s talent on the Illini side, but after finishing dead last in the Big Ten in total defense, there’s an overhaul being done. However …

Why Illinois Will Win

New head coach Bret Bielema and new defensive coordinator Ryan Walters should be able to crank up the pass rush and the pressure into the backfield.

Nebraska has some good offensive parts, but most of them are untested and Martinez has yet to show any real consistency. The Illinois linebacking corps will be a massive plus and the line should be far, far stronger.

On the other side, Illinois has a few good receiving transfers to bother the Husker secondary, and it should have a decent enough running game to at least keep things moving.

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What’s Going To Happen

Nebraska might be having its issues under Scott Frost, but it won four straight over the Illini before last year’s 41-23 shocker in Lincoln.

Both teams are going to come up with an ultra-intense effort in what should a game full of plenty of energy. It’s going to be ragged, full of mistakes, and there won’t be too much coming from the respective passing games, but it’s going to be a fun opener to the season and the Bielema era.

Can the Nebraska passing game come up with the big plays needed to overcome a solid effort from the Illinois balanced attack?

Martinez will have a hard time breaking free from the Illini linebacking corps, but Nebraska will be good enough on the ground in the second half to come up with the program’s first season-opening road win since rocking Iowa 42-7 in 1999.

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Nebraska vs Illinois Prediction, Line

Nebraska 30, Illinois 24
Nebraska -7, o/u: 55
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2

Must See Rating: 3

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Week 1 College Football Schedule

Nebraska vs Illinois College Basketball Game Preview

Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Illinois Fighting Illini prediction and college basketball game preview.

Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Illinois Fighting Illini prediction and college basketball game preview.


Nebraska vs Illinois Broadcast

Date: Thursday, February 25
Game Time: 7:00 ET
Venue: State Farm Center, Champaign, IL
Network: BTN

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Nebraska (5-16) vs Illinois (16-6) Game Preview

For latest lines and to bet on college basketball, go to BetMGM


Why Nebraska Will Win

Illinois didn’t have it against Michigan State a few days ago in an 81-72 loss. Was this the team hitting a bit of a wall, or was it just an aberration? It was probably more of the latter, but the defense couldn’t hold down the Spartans from the field, and there’s a suddenly strange trend of having issues stopping teams from three.

Nebraska hasn’t been great from the outside, but it was great from the field in a fun shootout loss to Penn State a few days ago, and it was able to push the Fighting Illini back in mid-January in an overtime loss.

The wins might not be there, but the team keeps pushing.

Why Illinois Will Win

Yeah, it was an aberration.

Michigan State took its energy and shooting to another level in the win over Illinois on Tuesday. The Illini are back home and should be fine as long as the defense is able to crank up the intensity again.

The loss to the Spartans is fresh, but a few days before that the Illini throttled a dangerous Minnesota team on the road. This is too strong an offense to struggle against a Nebraska team that doesn’t shoot well enough, can’t hit free throws, and makes way too many mistakes.

What’s Going To Happen

Illinois is having a few problems with its consistency. It’s a good enough team to beat anyone in the country on the right day, but it wasn’t great against Northwestern, and then rocked Minnesota. It was tremendous against Wisconsin, and lost to Michigan State.

It’s going to be just fine as it follows up a bad performance with a very, very good one.

Nebraska vs Illinois Prediction, Line

Illinois 78, Nebraska 64
Bet on college basketball with BetMGM
Line: Illinois -16.5, o/u: 145.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2.5

Must See Rating: 2

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Nebraska vs Illinois Prediction, Game Preview

Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Illinois Fighting Illini prediction and game preview.

Nebraska vs Illinois prediction and game preview.


Nebraska vs Illinois Broadcast

Date: Saturday, November 21
Game Time: 12:00 ET
Venue: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE
Network: Big Ten Network

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Nebraska (1-2) vs Illinois (1-3) Game Preview

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Why Illinois Will Win

Well there’s the running game.

Illinois had a few decent runs here and there, and the passing game worked against Purdue, but against Rutgers the offense finally started to rumble like it’s supposed to with 338 yards on the ground wit Chase Brown having a big day, and former star recruit Isaiah Williams going off after getting the chance to make the offense his.

Williams only hit 7-of-18 passes for 104 yards, but he took off for 192 yards and a score. Illinois simplified the offense, let 1 take over, and it all worked. Now Nebraska has to deal with the dynamic sort of playmaker its offense has been looking for on a consistent basis in the Scott Frost era. And …

Why Nebraska Will Win

Adrian Martinez wasn’t bad. He started the season against Ohio State and Northwestern – two of the Big Ten’s best defenses. However, Luke McCaffrey hit 16-of-21 passes in his work against Ohio State and Northwestern, and he was good enough against Penn State with 152 passing yards and 67 on the ground.

The Huskers are still having problems on third downs, and the offense as a whole is sputtering, but defensive line is getting into the backfield and should be strong against a shaky Illinois offensive line.

No, Nebraska isn’t throwing well, but Illinois is having bigger problems.

What’s Going To Happen

The Nebraska defensive front might not have the stats to back it up, but it actually hasn’t been all that bad and it’s been terrific at getting behind the line. It’ll swarm all over Williams, there won’t be any Illinois passing game to back it up, and Nebraska will win its fifth game in a row over the Illini.

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Nebraska vs Illinois Prediction, Line

Nebraska 34, Illinois 23
Bet on Nebraska vs Illinois with BetMGM
Nebraska -15.5, o/u: 59
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2.5

Must See Rating: 2

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