#1 Ohio State vs. #17 Illinois Picks and Predictions: Big Ten Gameday in Champaign

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Jeremiah Smith and Ohio State are back in the Big Ten Championship this season - Indiana Ohio State Picks

The Big Ten has a BIG showdown in Champaign this weekend, as the top ranked Ohio State Buckeyes look to continue their quest for perfection, but do so on the road against the No. 17 Illinois Fighting Illini. This will only be the Buckeyes’ second road game of the season, and could very well be their toughest opponent so far this year. Sure, they beat a Texas team that was ranked No. 1 at home in Week 1… but we’ve since learned that the Longhorns suck! How good does that win actually look? Regardless, Bret Bielema’s squad has already tasted conference defeat, and this win could really help them prove their legitimacy. Dive into our favorite picks to figure out if the Illini can actually make it happen.

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#1 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. #17 Illinois Fighting Illini NCAA Football Insights

I’ll stand by my statement that this is the best team Ohio State has faced. They took down No. 1 ranked Texas, who still have not beaten a Power Four team and are currently unranked. Then the Buckeyes annihilated Grambling and Ohio when those foes came to town. Next came a road trip to Seattle to face a frisky Huskies team, shutting them down and winning 24-6. Finally they kicked the crap out of Minnesota at home. After what we’ve seen from the Longhorns, none of those wins move the needle for me. This is where we see what they are made of.

Illinois is 5-1 this season, losing only to the Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington in embarrassing fashion. As a guy riding the Illinois Win Total Over 8.5 (for +150), I certainly won’t mention that the final score was 63-10. That would be rude of me to bring up the Illini losing by 53 points to Indiana. Nevertheless Illinois survived a fourth quarter comeback against No. 21 USC and beat Purdue and Duke on the road. Now they get a wake up call at home, will they come prepared?

Matchup Information – Ohio State vs. Illinois – October 11

  • Venue & Location: Memorial Stadium (Champaign, IL)
  • Date: Saturday, October 11, 2025
  • Kick Off: 12:00 p.m. Eastern
  • Broadcast: FOX

Ohio State vs. Illinois Betting Odds

Odds are courtesy of BetOnline, one of our favorite online sportsbooks, as of October 8, 2025 at 9:01 a.m. eastern. Sign up today with Promo Code BNBOL55 for a 55% deposit bonus. BetOnline offers a wide variety of unique markets across nearly every sport imaginable.

Spread

  • Ohio State -14.5 (-110)
  • Illinois +14.5 (-110)

Moneyline

  • Ohio State -650
  • Illinois +476

Total

  • Over 49.5 (-110)
  • Under 49.5 (-110)

Thinking about it more, the full game under is probably the play, because I don’t see this getting out of hand. However that thinking at least correlates with what I’ve already booked so we are rolling with it. Sure, Indiana put up 63 points against this Illini defense, however at home it might be a different story for the hosts.

#1 Ohio State vs. #17 Illinois NCAA Football Picks and Predictions

If Luke Altmyer takes care of the football, he will give the Illini a chance - Ohio State Illinois Picks

If Luke Altmyer takes care of the football, he will give the Illini a chance

Ohio State vs. Illinois Prediction: Ohio State Wins, Illinois Covers, Under 49.5

Best Bet: Illinois +14.5 (-110) BetOnline

This is just too many points in a game I don’t see making it to 40. Ohio State really hasn’t played anyone. I consider Illinois the more battle tested team in this spot, plus they are at home. It’s going to be a tough environment, Gameday is in Champaign doing their show this week, and after losing to Indiana, the Illini have been thinking of stealing this one.

Ohio State has only won the turnover battle against Texas (Grambling doesn’t count). Personally, I think Illinois’ best bet is trying to turn this into a shootout, but that will be tough to do against the Buckeye defense. However I do think in a low scoring game, this back door is going to left wide open for a late, garbage time touchdown. Especially with the hook, thanks, MeeMaw.

If Illinois can at least score two touchdowns (and make the point after), they should cover this number. The Buckeyes shouldn’t put up more than 28 in this game in my eyes. Give me a 24-14 Ohio State victory.

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