The Illinois Fighting Illini and the Penn State Nittany Lions are ready to hit the field and face off once again. The Big Ten battle takes place at Penn State’s Beaver Stadium. Both top-ranked college teams lost their last game, so both are highly motivated to take home a win.
Two weeks ago, the Nittany Lions lost 23-20 to the Iowa Hawkeyes. Penn State’s offense failed against the Hawkeyes, but running back Noah Cain and quarterback Sean Clifford both scored touchdowns.
The Fighting Illini also had a tough time two weeks ago, losing 24 to 0 to the Wisconsin Badgers. The final quarter of the game was just for show since, by the third quarter, it was already 24 to 0. Quarterback Artur Sitkowski was disappointing, passing for only 55 yards out of 27 attempts.
What we cover
Penn State Favored for the Upcoming Game
During this next head-to-head, the Nittany Lions are the favorites; oddsmakers predict a 24-point victory for Penn State. Bettors who lost out by picking Penn State against the spread their last game should remember that so far this season, the Lions have not dropped back-to-back games against the spread.
The recent losses put Illinois at 2-5 and Penn State at 5-1.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind before laying down any bets before kickoff; When it comes to passing yards per game, the Fighting Illini are 209th worst in the country, only averaging 153.7. Penn State has its weak points too; the Nittany Lions fall to 152nd place for the fewest rushing yards per game, with an average of only 130. Possibly, these factors could come into play.
Where To Watch This Epic Game
The best place to watch the game is in-person at Beaver Stadium, Penn State University. The second best place is to watch the game for free on ABC TV, or you can follow the game on the CBS Sports App. You could also watch it on FuboTV, but that’s a paid service and regional restrictions may apply.
What is the Betting Odds?
The oddsmakers have favored the Nittany Lions over the Fighting Illini by 24-points. The Over/Under is -114.
Over the last seven years, Penn State has won every game they’ve played against Illinois by a huge margin. In 2015, the Lions trounced the Illini 39 to 0. Penn State won by 39 points again in 2018, beating Illinois 63 t0 24. Finally, last year, the Nittany Lions once again triumphed over the Fighting Illini 56 to 21.
Betting on the Next College Game
Up until recently, Illinoisans could not bet on the Fighting Illini. But, state legislators have pushed through a bill that would allow Illinois college football fans to place bets by the end of the year. However, the catch is, you must place your bets at a retail location, such as at a casino.
Retail sportsbooks are located at:
- Casino Queen in East St. Louis
- Hollywood Casino in Aurora and Joliet
- Rivers Casino in Des Plaines
- FanDuel Sportsbook & Horse Racing in Collinsville
- Club Hawthorne in Crestwood
- Player’s Pub & Grill in Prospect Heights
- Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney
- Par-A-Dice Casino in Alton
- Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin
- Argosy Casino in Alton
However, while you can sign up for a Barstool Sportsbook account at the Aurora location, you can’t sign up in Joliet. Likewise, you can only sign up for FanDuel at the horse track in Collinsville, but not at Pair-a-Dice or the Argosy in Alton.
Also in the bill, beginning March 5, 2022, Illinois residents will be allowed to sign up for a sports betting account online. Currently, bettors must go to a brick-and-mortar sportsbook and sign up in person. Both of these developments should boost both handle and revenue.
Also, the bill allows Wintrust Arena in Chicago to open a sportsbook. Originally, only sports venues with a capacity of 17,000 or more could have a sportsbook. This left out the South Loop Wintrust Arena which only has 10,000 seats.
The changes also prohibit local governments from imposing an additional tax on video gaming terminals. The municipalities that have already instituted “push taxes,” will be able to keep collecting those taxes. But, after November 1, other municipalities will not be able to create push taxes.
Possibly in May: Online Registration
While you’ll still need to go to a retail sportsbook to bet on college sports, if an operator wins a bid for one of the $20 million online sportsbook licenses, by May, you might be able to register an account online from home. That will be a boon to anyone living inconveniently far from a location where they can now sign up.
In May, sports bettors might be able to place bets on the FA Cup Final in Wembley Stadium, the IIHF World Championship, the French Tennis Open, and the US PGA Golf Tour. The summer brings more European soccer matches, US car racing, the NBA finals, and baseball.
