College Football Best Bets: Illinois vs Indiana
Jump into the 2025 college football season with a DraftKings Promo Code for $200 instantly on a $5 bet! RotoWire has plenty of college football betting tools and info to keep you in the loop this season. From the latest college football odds to college football futures and Heisman odds, we have you covered.
It's Week 4, and we're headed for the Big Ten for this week's matchup. The Illinois Fighting Illini (3-0) make the 2 1/2-hour trek to Bloomington to take on the Indiana Hoosiers (3-0) at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, and top-20 battle is available to view or stream on NBC and Peacock.
In recent seasons, either one or both of these teams have been downtrodden. However, head coach Curt Cignetti has breathed new life into the Hoosiers, and he has The Rock jumping on Saturdays in the fall now. Indiana, of course, made an appearance in the College Football Playoff last season.
This season, the Fighting Illini have lived up to expectations under head coach Bret Bielema, coming in undefeated and ranked No. 9 in The Associated Press' Top 25 poll. It's the highest ranking for Illinois since Dec. 2001. Indiana heads into this game ranked No. 19 in the AP, and it is the first time since 1987 that both teams are ranked heading into their matchup.
Illinois vs Indiana Betting Odds for Week 4
Spread: Illinois +6.5 (-105 at DraftKings Sportsbook); Indiana -6.5 (-115 at Bet365 Sportsbook)
Total: Over 52.5 (-110 DraftKings Sportsbook); Under 52.5 (-110 Fanatics Sportsbook)
Moneyline: Illinois +225 (Caesars Sportsbook); Indiana -200 (BetRivers)
Be sure to dig into the latest sportsbook promos available at the best online sportsbooks to get the most bang for your buck during the College Football Playoff. The Caesars Sportsbook promo code allows fans to double their winnings on their next 10 bets after placing a $1 bet!
Illinois vs Indiana Betting Picks for Week 4
The Fighting Illini hit the road for Bloomington, looking for its first road victory as a top-10 team since Oct. 27, 1990, a 21-3 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers. If you don't remember Illinois being ranked this high this early, nobody can blame you. The Fighting Illini have their highest September ranking since 1964, when Dick Butkus was patrolling the field.
Illinois leads the all-time series 46-25-3, although Indiana has a winning record at home, going 16-13 in the series. These teams didn't meet in Indiana's run to the CFP last season. The most recent meeting was an absolutely crazy 48-45 win by the Illini in overtime in Champaign on Nov. 11, 2023. That victory snapped a four-game win streak by the Hoosiers in this series. Indiana still covered as a 5-point 'dog in that barn burner, and IU is 4-1 against the spread (ATS) in the past five meetings.
Illini QB Luke Altmyer has been fabulous this season, ranking 14th in the country in passing efficiency (182.0). He is one of three signal callers in the conference with at least eight passing touchdowns with no interceptions. Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza has nine touchdowns and no interceptions, while the other is Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola. Altmyer is also 14th in the nation in passing TDs, while ranking second behind Mendoza in the conference.
Altmyer has made beautiful music with WR Hank Beatty, who has racked up 289 receiving yards to check in 16th in the nation, and fourth in the Big Ten. He also leads the conference in all-purpose yards with 466. In fact, Beatty had a 69-yard punt return for a touchdown in the opener against Western Illinois, totaling 133 yards on four punt returns. That broke a 102-year-old school record previously held by Red Grange, and it was the first time an Illini player housed a punt since 2013.
Indiana rolled up a 73-0 win over in-state foe Indiana State last Friday, and it is 3-0 for the second consecutive season. This will be the first battle between two top-20 ranked teams at The Rock since Oct. 20, 1987, when the Hoosiers were No. 15, and they topped the Michigan Wolverines 14-10 for coach Bill Mallory, with RB Anthony Thompson and WR Ernie Jones starring for the home side.
So, what do we know about these teams, though?
Illinois has topped Western Illinois (52-3 as a 48.5-point favorite), Duke (45-19 as a 2.5-point favorite) and Western Michigan (38-0 as a 27.5-point favorite). Yes, the Illini is 3-0 ATS, with the Under going 2-1 thanks to stellar defense, but that's not exactly a murderer's row of opponents. It gets real Saturday.
Indiana struggled with Old Dominion (27-14 as a 23-point favorite), before blasting Kennesaw State (56-9 as a 35.5-point favorite) and Indiana State (73-0 as a 47.5-point favorite). The Over is 2-1 in three games, while IU is 2-1 ATS.
The matchup between Altmyer and Mendoza is a good one, and the difference maker could be Beatty, not only on offense, but on special teams.
Expect this game to be close, and Indiana could pull out a very close one-score game. But, Illinois catching more than five points is quite a bit. This surprise marquee Big Ten meeting should live up to expectations, coming right down to the bitter end. The previous two meetings have each been decided by three points, with an average margin of 5.3 points per game in the past three installments. Why should things be any different Saturday night?
Illinois vs Indiana Expert Pick: Illinois +6.5 (-110 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
Get a piece of the action during the 2025 college football season with BetMGM promo code ROTOSPORTS featuring a First Bet offer of up to $1,500!
Illinois vs Indiana Predictions for Week 4
Looking at the total, again, we're wondering just how good each of these teams really is.
Illinois ranks fifth in the nation and third in the Big Ten, allowing only 7.3 points per game. Duke scored 19 against them in Durham on Sept. 6, and it is the only notable opponent Illinois has faced to date. The Illini did force five turnovers in that game, however, so that's worth noting, including three forced fumbles and an interception.
Indiana held Indiana State to a total of just 77 yards last Friday, but that's an FCS opponent, which was obviously overwhelmed. It was the fourth-fewest yards of total offense allowed by Indiana since at least 1959.
The Hoosiers have allowed a total of 23 points against two FBS opponents, although Kennesaw State and Old Dominion aren't exactly Ohio State and Michigan, either.
We could see some nerves early on in this game, as both teams are still building confidence and trying to prove they're contenders, not pretenders. We could get a sluggish start, and that's why Under 27.5 - 1st Half Total (-138 at FanDuel Sportsbook) is an attractive play. For the game, lean Under, too, but the 1H line is the better option.
