Illinois-Purdue Football Point Spread Shifts Significantly in Favor of Illini

The 23rd-ranked Illini are favored to blow out the Boilermakers by more than three touchdowns

Sep 20, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Pat Bryant (13) scores a touchdown in overtime against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Illinois, the No. 23 team in the country, opened as a 17.5-point favorite against lowly Purdue. Anyone who has followed the Illini for any length of time knows it's practically unheard of for this program to go into any Big Ten game with such a perceived advantage.

Yeah, well, this was one huge spread that apparently wasn't close to being huge enough. Early betting ballooned the line all the way up to 22.5 by midweek, easily making it one of college football's biggest Week 7 movers.

Ryan Walters: “The most disappointing thing is, if I’m being completely honest, that we’re a bad football team right now."

— Tom Dienhart (@TomDienhart1) October 5, 2024

The biggest mover was in the UAB-Army game; Army opened as an 18.5-point favorite, but a few days later the number was all the way up to 26.5. No. 1-ranked Texas opened as an 8.5-point favorite against Red River rival Oklahoma, but soon enough it was at 14.5. The Cincinnati-USF, Air Force-New Mexico and Appalachian State-Louisiana spreads also changed by at least four points.

Why the Illini? It might not be bettors' confidence in them that moved the needle so dramatically. The Boilermakers are so bad – and the atmosphere surrounding coach Ryan Walters so negative – that perception of arguably the Power 4's worst team is getting worse by the day.

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