UNDER 42.5 - Both Nebraska and Illinois run the football and run the clock. Both offenses struggle to throw the football espcially the Cornhuskers. With Jeff Sims out, Heinrich Haarberg has been starting behind center. This week we could get a rusty Sims back or a below average Haarberg. Nebraska's run defense allows just 2.8 yards per play. All of this adds up to a very low scoring game.

This is the kind of game you bet, then go watch a movie. Nebraska+3.5. The Cornhuskers are gaining confidence under Matt Ruhle, they've covered two of their three games with the only loss to Michigan. Illinois has struggle running the football and Nebraska's strength is stopping the run.

Illinois is dealing some injury questions at running back at a time when it needs a consistent ground game to open up the offense, but at the same time its getting healthier on the defensive side of the ball that should lead to an improvement in stopping the run and creating havoc plays in passing downs. We know Nebraska's offense doesn't have a lot of versatility, so I expect a bounce back effort from the Illini defense pairs with Nebraska's own strengths on defense to lead to a low-scoring Big Ten West battle.