Illinois vs. Rutgers Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, and Key Matchups for November 23

The highly anticipated matchup between the No. 24 Illinois Fighting Illini and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights is set to take place on Saturday, November 23, at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey. Illinois, with a 7-3 record, has had a mixed season, starting strong with a 4-0 record before facing setbacks against teams with winning records. They have quality wins over Kansas and Nebraska but struggled against Penn State, Oregon, and Minnesota.

Rutgers, on the other hand, is looking to achieve its first three-game winning streak in Big Ten conference play since joining the league in 2014. Despite a porous front line, Rutgers boasts the 32nd-ranked defense in FBS according to SP+.

In terms of betting odds, the game has seen some shifts. Initially, Rutgers was slightly favored at -1, but the odds have flipped to Illinois -1, with some books listing it as -1.5. The moneyline remains relatively stable, with Illinois at -120 and Rutgers at +100. The over/under is set at 47.5 points, slightly up from the initial 47 points.

Experts like NBC Sports Betting Analyst Eric Froton are backing Illinois due to their balanced performance on both sides of the ball. Froton notes that Illinois rarely turns the ball over and excels at limiting big plays, which could exploit Rutgers’ defensive weaknesses.

The game is scheduled to kick off at 12:00 AM EST and will be broadcast on Peacock. Fans can also tune in to the B1G Talk podcast and the Bet the Edge podcast for comprehensive analysis and betting insights.