Opening Spread Released for Purdue vs. Illinois Rivalry Game
Illinois will enter Saturday's game against Purdue as a massive favorite. The Fighting Illini have opened as an 18.5-point favorite for the rivalry game in Week 7, per FanDuel.com.
The Boilers and Illini are trending in opposite directions this season. Purdue is 1-4 on the year and is coming off an embarrassing 52-6 loss to Wisconsin on Saturday. Illinois enjoyed an off week after suffering a 21-7 loss to Penn State in Week 5. The Illini are 4-1.
Not only is the Purdue-Illinois game a rivalry — the two teams battle for the Purdue Cannon — the two coaches know each other quite well.
Purdue coach Ryan Walters was the defensive coordinator at Illinois under Bret Bielema from 2021-22 before taking the job in West Lafayette. The Fighting Illini had one of the Big Ten's top defenses in 2022 before Walters' departure.
Walters led the Boilermakers to a 44-19 win in West Lafayette in last year's rivalry bout with Illinois. Purdue has won four straight games and seven of the last eight meetings. Purdue leads the all-time series 48-45-6.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will air on Fox Sports 1.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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