Penn State vs Illinois Prediction, Game Preview

Penn State vs Illinois prediction, game preview, how to watch: Saturday, October 23

Penn State vs Illinois prediction, game preview, how to watch: Saturday, October 23


Penn State vs Illinois How To Watch

Date: Saturday, October 23
Game Time: 12:00 ET
Venue: Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA
How To Watch: ABC
Record: Penn State (5-1), Illinois (2-5)
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Penn State vs Illinois Game Preview


Why Illinois Will Win

Did Bret Bielema light a fire under his Illini or did he throw his team under the bus?

He ripped the team, the former coaching staff, and the program in general for not having enough talent on the 2021 team. He’s actually sort of right, but a college head coach isn’t supposed to say the quiet part out loud.

He’s got veterans across the board, the team had two weeks off to rest up, and now the running game that destroyed Charlotte needs to at least be functional early on. No, Illinois isn’t going to rip through the Nittany Lions, but Wisconsin, Auburn, and Iowa were at least able to get a few decent gains to keep everyone honest.

The real question for Illinois is whether or not Penn State starting quarterback Sean Clifford is able to go after getting hurt against Iowa. The Nittany Lions are working with the backups to get ready for this, but …

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Why Penn State Will Win

Yeah, the run defense.

Wisconsin was able to rip off a few nice runs, and Auburn had a couple of moments, but the Nittany Lions are allowing three yards per carry on the year, haven’t allowed more than 100 yards to anyone other than the Badgers, Tigers, and Hawkeyes, and they aren’t going to be gashed by the Illini.

The offense that couldn’t do anything right when Clifford went out against Iowa isn’t going to come out humming, but as long as the D is doing its job, Penn State’s attack will have plenty of chances and good field position.

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What’s Going To Happen

Don’t be stunned if Illinois all of a sudden plays out of its depth for a little while.

No, the talent isn’t there. Yes, Bielema has a rebuilding job to do. But the defense has’t been all that bad and it should be able to keep this from getting out of hand.

The offense, though, is going to to a whole lot of nothing against a rested Nittany Lion D. As long as the turnovers aren’t flowing like they did in Iowa City, there won’t be a problem.

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Penn State vs Illinois Prediction, Line

Penn State 34, Illinois 13
Line: Penn State -24, o/u: 46.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2.5

Must See Rating: 2

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Penn State vs Illinois Prediction, Game Preview

Penn State Nittany Lions vs Illinois Fighting Illini prediction and game preview

Penn State vs Illinois prediction and game preview.


Penn State vs Illinois Broadcast

Date: Saturday, December 19
Game Time: 5:30 ET
Venue: Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA
Network: FS1

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Penn State (3-5) vs Illinois (2-5) Game Preview

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Why Illinois Will Win

For all of the problems and issues, the Illinois offense has been able to move the ball a bit.

It didn’t look great over the last two weeks against Iowa and Northwestern, but those two have among the Big Ten’s best defenses. Even so, the Illini offense was still good on third downs against the Hawkeyes and on the year is connecting on 40% of its tries.

That comes from the ground game that’s not all that bad.

Again, playing against Iowa and Northwestern is a problem, but even against those two the rushing attack worked okay. Before that, the Illini ripped through Rutgers and Nebraska, and it averages close to five yards per carry on the year.

Illinois might not tear off 300 yards on the ground, but it should be able to do just enough to maintain some control against a Penn State team that’s not going to run away with this. But …

Why Penn State Will Win

Oh yeah, there’s that issue with the Illinois head coach – he’s not there anymore.

Lovie Smith was “relieved of his duties” after the 28-10 loss to Northwestern and the 2-5 season. Interim head coach Rod Smith moves over from the offensive coordinator side, but it’s hardly business as usual for the Illini.

Penn State is playing well. It helps to have played Michigan, Rutgers and Michigan State over the last few weeks, but still, it’s a good turnaround from the 0-5 start. The defense is doing a fantastic job against the run and allowed fewer than 300 yards of total offense in three of the last five games.

Offensively, Sean Clifford has been solid. He’s hitting well over 60% of his throws in the recent run, the running game is doing enough, and the team is playing with more confidence and consistency.

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What’s Going To Happen

Illinois hasn’t been all that bad for a 2-5 team.

Here’s how crazy this is. Had Illinois played its original schedule with Illinois State, UConn, and Bowling Green, it’s almost certainly a five-win team, possibly six-win, and Lovie Smith is still the head coach.

He’s not, Illinois is struggling, and Penn State is about to finish off a nice turnaround with a four-game winning streak after the disastrous start. The Nittany Lion offense will be balanced enough to overcome a decent day from the Illini ground game.

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Penn State vs Illinois Prediction, Line

Penn State 34, Illinois 17
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Penn State -15, o/u: 52
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2

Must See Rating: 2.5

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Penn State vs. Illinois Basketball Fearless Prediction, Game Preview

Penn State vs. Illinois college basketball fearless prediction and game preview.

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Penn State vs. Illinois college basketball fearless prediction and game preview.


Penn State vs. Illinois Broadcast

Date: Tuesday, February 18
Game Time: 6:30 ET
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
Venue: Bryce Joran Center, University Park, PA
Network: FS1

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Why Illinois Will Win

You are what you’re record is, but this is a better team than the four-game losing streak might indicate.

Okay, losing to Rutgers by 15 is hard to explain, but the team is a terror on the boards, it’s strong at coming up with second-chance points, and the defense is usually strong enough to keep teams from going on big runs.

It’s an aggressive team, but it doesn’t get hit with a ton of fouls. On the flip side, no one in the Big Ten commits more fouls per game than Penn State. However …

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Why Penn State Will Win

Illinois doesn’t do much of anything to take the ball away, and Penn State leads the Big Ten in steals. For a team that needs to come up with a whole lot of easy points – especially considering the struggles lately – that’s not going to happen against the hot Nittany Lions.

Penn State can rebound, too, and it’s killing teams from the outside. Illinois has no three-point shooting game and it’ll get stopped way too often in the half-court set.

What’s Going To Happen

Illinois is way overdue for a terrific performance, but that’s not happening against Penn State right now. The Nittany Lions have lost only one home game in Big Ten play, it won’t screw up enough to give up transition points, and it’ll keep the Illini from finding a consistent offensive groove.

Penn State vs. Illinois Prediction, Line

Penn State 78, Illinois 69
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Penn State -6.5, o/u: 138
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3.5
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Must See Rating: 3

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