Illinois has officially broken into the top 10 of the AP Poll, riding a pair of blowout victories to its highest ranking in over two decades. Western Michigan, on the other hand, heads to Champaign still seeking to notch its first win of the 2025 season.
The Illini are 27.5-point favorites on Saturday with -6500 moneyline odds, all while the point total has been set at 50.5. Here is a preview of the Week 3 showdown featuring odds and lines from DraftKings Sportsbook.
Illinois vs. Western Michigan Preview
Illinois Preview
Through the first two weeks of the season, the Illini have positioned themselves as an all-around juggernaut. Illinois entered its Week 1 showdown with Western Illinois as a 45.5-point favorite and proceeded to demolish the in-state foe 52-3. They took that show on the road last weekend, demolishing Duke by a score of 45-19 despite only entering as 3.0-point favorites. On both sides of the ball, Illinois has proven it can handle itself against both FCS and ACC competition. Veteran quarterback Luke Altmyer is completing 75.0% of his passes with six touchdowns and zero interceptions, helping breakout receiver Hank Beatty rack up 236 yards through two contests. Beatty has a punt return touchdown to his name as well. As for the ground attack, the three-headed monster of Kaden Feagin, Aidan Laughery and Ca’Lil Valentine have combined for 323 yards and five touchdowns.
The defense has also notched 7.0 sacks, four forced fumbles and one interception so far this year. Edge rusher Gabe Jacas has already accounted for 3.0 sacks, 4.0 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and a pass deflection, looking to recreate his Third-Team All-American showing from 2024. All of that returning talent has kept Bret Bielema and Illinois in the College Football Playoff hunt early on, and it doesn’t seem like Western Michigan is in a position to disrupt their groove.
Western Michigan Preview
The Broncos have already gone on the road to face a Big Ten squad this season, losing 23-6 to Michigan State in Week 1. Western Michigan had quarterbacks Brady Jones and Broc Lowry split time in that game, only to lean more heavily on Lowry in Week 2. That decision paid off, as Lowry passed for one touchdown and ran for two more. Removing the lone sack he took, the former Indiana backup rushed for 75 yards on 11 carries. Lowry still couldn’t come through when it mattered most, though, going 0-for-2 through the air in overtime as North Texas escaped with a 33-30 win. Still, scoring 30 points on a team that allowed zero to Lamar – an FCS team, admittedly – a week earlier is notable.
Western Michigan opened the 2024 campaign with back-to-back losses to Big Ten programs, losing 28-14 to a Wisconsin team that finished below .500. The very next week, they got blown out 56-0 by the eventual national champion Ohio State Buckeyes. Even though veteran quarterback Hayden Wolff helped turn things around and led the Broncos to a 6-6 regular season record, they still lost to South Alabama in the Veterans Bowl. Wolff is gone now, too, further complicating coach Lance Taylor’s pursuit of a winning season. If the Michigan State loss from two weeks ago is this year’s version of the Wisconsin loss, then Western Michigan could be in for another Ohio State-esque beatdown against Illinois on Saturday.
Illinois vs. Western Michigan pick, best bet
While the Illini haven’t struggled to cover the spread this season, a Broncos offense with an injection of new life could seriously threaten that streak. For Illinois to win by four touchdowns, that could take a 50-point explosion.
That is certainly possible, but the safer bet right now seems to be on the game to hit the over. Illinois has zero turnovers and four punts on the season, all while averaging 48.5 points per game. Western Michigan is averaging 18 points per game, but cracked 30 when they handed the keys to their more mobile QB. The Broncos’ only turnover of the season came from a Jones interception, so Lowry taking on a larger role should help them protect the ball more effectively as well.
