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Nebraska Football Favored by a Touchdown Over Illinois in Early Betting Lines

The Nebraska football team has an early eight-point spread set against Illinois for a Friday night matchup in Lincoln.

Austin Jacobsen

Sep 14, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Dante Dowdell (23) runs against the Northern Iowa Panthers during the third quarter at Memorial Stadium.
Sep 14, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Dante Dowdell (23) runs against the Northern Iowa Panthers during the third quarter at Memorial Stadium. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images
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Nebraska football had made bettors very happy with their on-field play the past three contests.

Over the first three weeks of the college football season, the Huskers have won and covered the spread of each contest in their 3-0 start to 2024. Following a 34-3 victory over Northern Iowa Saturday in Lincoln, NU continues to receive favorable lines from Vegas heading into the conference play.

The Big Red opened up early betting lines as eight-point favorites over No. 24 rated Illinois for their Friday night matchup at Memorial Stadium. It is the third consecutive game that the Huskers have opened as favorites, having taken down UTEP 40-7 in Week One, followed by a 28-10 win over Colorado in Week Two, then the Northern Iowa drubbing Saturday.

Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Heinrich Haarberg (10) runs against Northern Iowa
Sep 14, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Heinrich Haarberg (10) runs against Northern Iowa Panthers linebacker Tucker Langenberg (29) during the third quarter at Memorial Stadium. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The over/under for total points scored in the contest is set at 46 1/2 points, Other sports books, including DraftKings, have the Huskers as 8½-point favorites and the over/under at 43½ points.

The Cornhuskers' 3-0 start has vaulted the Big Red into both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Top 25 polls, placing Nebraska at No. 22. Illinois enters Friday's contest at 3-0, having taken down Eastern Illinois 45-0, then-No. 19 Kansas 23-17, and Central Michigan 30-9 .

The Illini have covered in each game this season, but each contest has hit the under in total points scored. Nebraska currently averages 34 points per game, while Illinois averaged nearly 33. The Huskers are in the Top 10 in the country for points allowed per contest at 8½ points per game, while Illinois averages 13.

Northern Iowa Panthers running back Amauri Pesek-Hickson (5) runs against Nebraska Cornhuskers
Sep 14, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Northern Iowa Panthers running back Amauri Pesek-Hickson (5) runs against Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back Isaac Gifford (2) during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The Big Red and Illini will kick off Friday in Memorial Stadium at 7 p.m. CDT, with television coverage on FOX.

MORE: Analytics Review: Nebraska Football vs Northern Iowa

MORE: Nebraska Football Inches Higher in Both Coaches, AP Polls Following Northern Iowa Win

MORE: Stukenholtz: That Old Familiar Husker Football Feeling

MORE: Northern Iowa Coach Compliments Nebraska Football Running Game, Toughness

MORE: Predicting the College Football Playoffs: Reflections on Week 3

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Austin Jacobsen
AUSTIN JACOBSEN

Austin Jacobsen is a radio broadcaster and former Sports Director in Central Nebraska. He has seen the Cornhusker state from all corners; growing up in the Panhandle, completing his college degree in Kearney, working in the rural Sandhills, and now residing in Omaha. Austin is a statewide, regional, and national radio award winner and can usually be found at a high school football field on Friday nights and tuning in to the Huskers wherever they travel. If he is not on the road, Austin enjoys movie dates with his girlfriend and their dog, Ava.

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