I'm not willing to put $50,000 on Illinois like the famed Duffel Bag Bettor, but I like them in this spot quite a bit. Illinois' offense hasn't been as potent this season as last as Reggie Corbin is a bit banged up, but its defense has taken major strides so far. Oluwole Betiku is having a huge impact after transferring from USC, as he leads the nation in sacks and TFL. He's just one reason this defense has been one of the most disruptive in the country, and I expect that to continue against an Eastern Michigan team playing its third straight road game to open the season.

Illinois is 2-0 start to the season. The difference this year is that both the offense and defense are doing a great job in complementing one another. Eastern Michigan, with the losses defensively due to graduation, is still trying to find the right combination of players to be better on that side of the ball. Lay the points with the Illini.