Penn State Nittany Lions vs Illinois Fighting Illini Prediction, 9/16/2023 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Penn State Nittany Lions vs Illinois Fighting Illini

Date: Saturday, September 16, 2023

Location: Memorial Stadium in Champaign, IL

TV: FOX

Odds/Point Spread: Fighting Illini (+15)

Total/Over-Under: 48.5

Memorial Stadium is the site where the Illinois Fighting Illini (1-1) will play the Penn State Nittany Lions (2-0) on Saturday, September 16, 2023. Penn State opens this game as 15-point favorites. The over/under is set at 48.5.

The Penn State Nittany Lions come into this game with a record of 2-0 this season. In their last game, the Nittany Lions faced the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens and walked away with a win by a score of 63-7. Drew Allar went 22/26 with 204 yards passing and 1 touchdown. He had a quarterback rating of 163.2 and ended the contest without throwing an interception. Kaytron Allen led the offense in rushing for the Nittany Lions with 19 carries for 103 yards (5.4 yards per carry). At the end of the game, they ran 91 plays which gave them a total of 541 yds. The Penn State Nittany Lions ran the rock 60 different times and accrued 315 yards, which earned them an average of 5.3 yards per attempt. When it came to stopping the run, the Nittany Lions gave up 82 yards on 24 tries, which averages out to 3.4 yards per run allowed. Penn State relinquished 6 completions on 17 attempts for 58 yards, and a completion rate of 35.3%.

The Nittany Lions have tallied 1,019 total yards this year. In terms of scoring, Penn State has earned 5 passing touchdowns and 8 rushing touchdowns. They have turned the football over 0 different times. Penn State has 61 1st downs, and they have been hurt by 8 infractions for 60 yds. As a unit they're averaging 230.5 yards in the run game which has them sitting 15th in Division 1. When talking about scoring points, the Penn State Nittany Lions have an average of 50.5 PPG.

When talking about yards through the air, the Nittany Lions are giving up 220 yds which ranks them 7th in D-1. They are giving up 110.0 yards per game via the pass as well as giving up a completion percentage of 50.0%. For the year, they have yielded 224.0 yards per contest putting them 10th in Division 1. They have given up 0 touchdowns through the air in addition to 3 touchdowns via the ground game. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 3.6 yards per rush on the ground and 114.0 rushing yards per game for the campaign. Overall, they have conceded 228 rushing yards through 2 games. The Nittany Lions are sitting in 17th in D-1 concerning the opposition scoring, giving up 11.0 points per contest.

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The Fighting Illini head into this game 1-1 for this year. The last time they took the field, the Fighting Illini went home defeated by a final of 34-23 when they played the Kansas Jayhawks. Luke Altmyer (1 TD) finished the contest with 202 yards on 19/28 passing while his QB rate was 126. He threw 2 picks and his average yards per pass attempt was 7.2. Luke Altmyer ran the ball 13 times for 70 yds, finishing the game with 5.4 yds per attempt for Illinois. The Fighting Illini finished the game with 341 yards and they ran 56 plays (6.1 yards per play). Illinois ran the ball for 5.0 yards per carry, totaling 139 yds on 28 attempts. Illinois conceded 44 rush attempts for 262 yards (6.0 yards per carry). The Fighting Illini secondary gave up a completion rate of 72.4%, surrendering 277 yards on 21 for 29 through the air.

Regarding the points being put on the board, the Fighting Illini are 85th in Division 1 averaging 26.5 points per outing. The Illinois Fighting Illini hold an average of 357.5 yards per contest, which has them ranked 89th in college football. The Illinois offense has totaled 158 penalty yds on 16 violations, which ranks 22nd in Division 1 in terms of helping out the other team. They have tossed 3 picks while surrendering 0 fumbles and they have tallied 40 1st downs. For the season so far, the Fighting Illini currently have a total of 408 yards through the air as well as holding an average of 204.0 passing yards per outing, which is ranked 93rd in the nation. They maintain an average of 153.5 yards per game via the ground game and have toted the ball for 307 yards overall.

The Fighting Illini are surrendering 31.0 points per game, which has them sitting 106th in the country. Illinois has given up a total of 448 rushing yards (224.0 yards per contest) in addition to 3 touchdowns via the rush so far this season. This year, they have conceded 62 total points. They have conceded 4 touchdowns from the passing game in addition to 253.5 yards/game, which has them in 99th in college football. The Fighting Illini defense has taken the field for 152 plays, which ranks 111th in college football. Their defense has earned 1 fumble and 2 picks over the course of the season.

Who will win tonight's Nittany Lions/Fighting Illini college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Fighting Illini +15

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