Illinois vs. Kansas Betting Picks: Can the Jayhawks Dominate Tonight?
The Illinois Fighting Illini are visiting the Kansas Jayhawks for a non-conference game. Can the Jayhawks dominate at home tonight? JT Miller shares his best betting picks for the game.
JT Miller - September 8, 2023, 3:14 PM EDT
5 minIllinois vs. Kansas Betting Picks: Can the Jayhawks Dominate Tonight?
We are back with another edition of Friday night lights on the gridiron tonight, with the Illinois Fighting Illini visiting the Kansas Jayhawks for a non-conference affair and their first meeting since the 1960s. Both squads picked up W's in week one and will be looking to roll momentum into the game tonight, and I am ready for some college football.
Illinois vs. Kansas Date, Start Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: September 8, 2023
- Game Time: 7:30 pm ET
- Where to Watch: ESPN2
Illinois vs. Kansas Prediction
I was almost going to dive into the total on this one as both squads can move the ball well and have their weakness' defensively (Kansas was an over machine last year, and Illinois gave up 28 to a group of five Toledo last week), but I am going with the Jayhawks here tonight.
Jason Bean looked fine in the win over Southeast Missouri State last week, but starting quarterback Jason Daniels will return for the Jayhawks tonight, and that is a big boost offensively. The redshirt junior now has some genuine experience under his belt after being the lead signal caller for Kansas last year, and getting the nod tonight at home should really have him and the squad fired up.
My main concern with Illinois tonight would come from the defense, as their defensive line is strong and spearheaded by a future first-round draft pick, Jer'Zhan Newton. They are better than they played last week against Toledo, and I assume we will see that improvement tonight, but the Kansas offense is also much better than what the Illini saw from Toledo last week.
I think this will be a good game, and I do not expect a blowout unless Luke Altmeyer struggles, but in the end, Kansas has the edge here at home. They return a lot of starters on both sides of the ball, and I expect the coaching to continue to improve upon a strong season last year.
Last thing: I am iffy on the spread here and was not playing this game for more than a unit regardless, so I am going to take the juice this time and go money line. I usually do not go beyond the -150 range, but I refuse to lose on the hook if this game is tight and a one-unit play isn't crazy with juice, so I am for it.
Illinois vs. Kansas Pick
Kansas ML -160 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this pick
College Football Odds
