Chattanooga Mocs vs. Illinois Fighting Illini Picks, Predictions, Odds

Daniel Dobish Sports Betting Expert

3 minute read

The Chattanooga Mocs square off with the Illinois Fighting Illini, looking for the upset Thursday night at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed on ESPN.

Updated on 04/24/2024

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CHATTANOOGA MOCS vs. ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI BETTING PREDICTION

The Mocs roll into Champaign with a legitimate shot at an upset of their Power 5 opponent. The Illini have been a little Jekyll and Hyde, blasting Wyoming, losing to a mediocre Indiana team and then handling Virginia by three touchdowns. It's hard to know which team will show up for Bret Bielema.

If Illinois is able to pick up the win, it would help the Illini to its first 3-1 SU start since the 2015 campaign. It's a good bet, as the Illini have yet to be stung by an FCS upset in their history, going 17-0.

Chattanooga has picked up three wins against decent FCS does, but facing the Illini is a big-time step up in competition. Don't expect the upset, but a line of 18.5 is super high for a mid-tier Power 5 team against a top-notch FCS squad. Take advantage.

Score Prediction: Illinois 30, Chattanooga 17
Best Bet: Chattanooga +18.5 (-110)
Best Bet: OVER 38.5 (-110)

CHATTANOOGA MOCS vs. ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI BETTING ODDS

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CHATTANOOGA MOCS vs. ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI BETTING RESOURCES

Date: Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022
Matchup: FCS vs. Big Ten
Venue: Memorial Stadium
Location: Champaign, Illinois
Time-TV: BTN, 8:30 p.m. ET

CHATTANOOGA MOCS BETTING ANALYSIS

The Mocs head into this one with a perfect record, topping Wofford, Eastern Illinois and North Alabama so far. Head coach Rusty Wright and the Mocs look to spring the upset, riding the red-hot QB Preston Hutchinson, the graduate transfer from Eastern Michigan. It isn't all about offense, though, as the Mocs rank 10th in FCS with just 11.0 PPG allowed.

RB Ailym Ford has rumbled for four touchdowns, and the diminutive tailback will be one to watch for the Mocs. On defense, keep an eye on DE Devonnsha Maxwell, a two-time FCS All-American who has 1.5 sacks and 8 tackles this season, and 12 sacks with 5.5 TFL in 2021.

ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI BETTING ANALYSIS

The Fighting Illini have played competitive football this season, including victories in two games at home over Wyoming and Virginia. The Illini actually pounded Wyoming 38-6 at home in Week 0 back on Aug. 27, while limiting Virginia to 69 rushing yards and 180 passing yards to win 24-3 in a blowout victory. Illinois coughed it up three times via interception, and once on a fumble, posting a plus-1 turnover differential.

QB Tommy DeVito has done a decent job in his three games, completing 67.0% of his passes for 622 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions. RB Chase Brown has been the star, going for 496 yards with 6.6 rushing yards per game with two touchdowns in his three outings.

Illinois is 5-1 ATS in the past six games overall, while going 6-0-1 ATS in the past seven outings against teams with a winning record. The trends aren't all great, however, as the Illini are 2-5-1 ATS in the past eight non-conference outings.

For the totals, the UNDER is 10-3 in the past 13 games overall dating back to last season, while going 5-2 in the past seven at home and 10-3 in the past 13 games overall.

CHATTANOOGA MOCS vs. ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI BETTING TRENDS

• Chattanooga is 4-1 ATS in the past five games overall.
• Illinois is 5-1 ATS in the past six games overall.
• Illinois is 2-5-1 ATS in the past eight non-conference games.
• UNDER is 5-1 in the past six games overall for Chattanooga.
• UNDER is 4-1 in the past five road games for Chattanooga.
• UNDER is 10-3 in the past 13 games overall for Illinois.
• UNDER is 5-2 in the past seven home games for Illinois.
• UNDER is 15-6 in the past 21 non-conference games for Illinois.

Daniel Dobish

Dan is a handicapper and sports betting expert for VegasInsider with years of experience writing for a number of top publications in the industry. More from Daniel Dobish