The No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions take on the Illinois Fighting Illini in a Week 3 Big Ten matchup. The game kicks off at noon ET on Saturday, September 16. Penn State enters as a road favorite.
Penn State (2-0, 0-0 B1G) grabbed a win over West Virginia to kick off their season, 38-15. Quarterback Drew Allar went an impressive 21-for-29 for 325 yards and three passing touchdowns in the win. KeAndre Lambert-Smith was at top target, finishing with 123 receiving yards and two TDs. Nick Singleton added 70 yards on the ground. They defeated Delaware in Week 2, 63-7. Kaytron Allen had over 100 yards on the ground.
Illinois (1-1, 0-0 B1G) started their season with a win over Toledo that was a little too close for comfort at 30-28. The Illini were not able to bounce back on their road trip to Lawrence the following week and fell to Kansas, 34-23. Quarterback Luke Altmyer threw two interceptions in the loss, but he also led the team in rushing yards with 70. He had two TDs on the ground and one in the air.
Here’s everything you need to know and a pick for the game.
SP+ Rankings
Penn State: 4 overall, 12 offense, 4 defense
Illinois: 52 overall, 75 offense, 28 defense
Injury update
Penn State
RB DK Kency – Questionable (undisclosed)
DT Coziah Izzard – Questionable (undisclosed)
DE Mason Robinson – Questionable (undisclosed)
OL Ian Harvie – Questionable (undisclosed)
S Jashuan Green – Questionable (undisclosed)
CB Daequan Hardy – Questionable (undisclosed)
DE Amin Vanover – Questionable (undisclosed)
QB Karson Kiesewetter – Questionable (undisclosed)
WR Tyler Johnson – Questionable (undisclosed)
WR Malick Meiga – Questionable (undisclosed)
DT Alonzo Ford Jr. – Out for season (undisclosed)
Illinois
DB Tyson Rooks – Questionable (undisclosed)
LB Ezekiel Holmes – Out indefinitely (knee)
LB Malachi Hood – Out for season (Achilles)
RB Jordan Anderson – Out for season (knee)
ATS/Total
Against The Spread in 2023
Penn State: 2-0 ATS
Illinois: 0-2 ATS
Total in 2023
Penn State: Over 2-0
Illinois: Over 1-1
Current lines at DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Penn State -14
Total: 48
Moneyline: Penn State -600, Illinois +440
Weather
78 degrees, partly sunny, 8 MPH winds W
The Pick
Penn State -14
Illinois has not shown anything this season that would indicate that they will be able to cover this spread. A two-point win against Toledo and an 11-point loss against an unranked Kansas team are not exactly points in the Illini’s favor. Penn State should win this one by over two touchdowns.