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Eastern Illinois Panthers vs Illinois Fighting Illini Prediction & Picks - NCAA
by Dan Angell | in NCAA Picks
The Eastern Illinois Panthers (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS) visit the Illinois Fighting Illini (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS) in the season opener for both teams. This marks the third meeting between the two schools since FCS games began counting toward a team’s bowl eligibility, and the first two were pretty straightforward; Illinois won by 25 in 2006 and by 26 in 2008. Of course, the spread was high enough that Illinois didn’t manage to cover either time.
The Panthers really haven’t shown an ability to stick close with Power 4 opponents, as they got blasted by South Carolina the last time they faced one. Eastern has improved a lot over the past two seasons, and the Panthers are now a good FCS opponent that have a genuine shot at the playoffs. But that doesn’t put them on the same footing as Illinois, which has its eye on getting back to a bowl game. If the Illini don’t make the postseason, the pressure on Bret Bielema could really start to heat up.
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Eastern Illinois Panthers vs Illinois Fighting Illini Form
Table
| Teams | % | P | W | D | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
6
|
0.667 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 |
|
112
|
0.25 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
Eastern Illinois Panthers and Illinois Fighting Illini Latest Matches
Eastern Illinois Panthers - Illinois Fighting Illini Key Points
- Illinois has never lost to an FCS opponent.
- The Fighting Illini are 7-2 ATS in their past nine games against the FCS.
- The Fighting Illini’s past six games have all been decided by four points or less.
- Six of Eastern Illinois’ past 12 games have been decided by seven points or less.
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Our Eastern Illinois Panthers vs Illinois Fighting Illini Prediction
Illinois has its quarterback returning and its top receiver back, which is a double-edged sword for the first game of the season. On one hand, the Illini will likely be able to bury the Panthers early if they choose to go to the air. They have a big advantage there, and can quickly separate themselves from Eastern.
On the other, this is not a game that Illinois has any real probability of losing. The Illini are easily the better team and should have no problem winning the game. Given that their next game is against Kansas, Illinois wants to get the kinks worked out in a low-pressure situation before moving on to the Jayhawks. That means they’re likely to turn to the ground game, which plays into Eastern’s hands. The Panthers have a strong ground game led by MJ Flowers, and they’re likely to keep the clock moving themselves. That should allow them to land a backdoor cover in a lower-scoring game. Our prediction for Eastern Illinois vs. Illinois is Eastern Illinois +28.
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