The Nebraska Cornhuskers will go on the road this week and look to get back to .500 but to do so they will need to overcome the Memorial Stadium fanbase in Champaign, Illinois, and the Fighting Illini!

The Nebraska Cornhuskers and Illinois Fighting Illini have lost their first two games in Big Ten action and one will get their first win in conference play when the Cornhuskers travel to take on the Fighting Illini on Friday night in week 6 of the college football season. Which team will come away with that win? Let’s take a closer look at how these teams are faring this season.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers enter this game with a record of 2-3 following a 7-45 loss at home against the Michigan Wolverines while failing to cover the 17-point spread as a home underdog in week 5 of the college football season. Nebraska scored 7 points while compiling a total of 305 yards offensively which included 199 passing yards and 106 rushing yards while allowing 45 points and 436 total yards defensively which included 187 passing yards and 249 rushing yards. Heinrich Haarberg led the team in passing, completing 14 of 25 attempts for 199 yards and an interception. Joshua Fleeks led the team in rushing with one carry for 74 yards and a touchdown while adding a reception for two yards. Billy Kemp IV led the team in receiving, catching four of seven targets for 61 yards.

Illinois enters this game with a record of 2-3 following a 19-44 loss on the road against the Purdue Boilermakers in week 5 of the college football season. The Fighting Illini scored 19 points while compiling a total of 375 yards offensively which included 226 passing yards and 149 rushing yards while allowing 44 points and 406 total yards defensively which included 217 passing yards and 189 rushing yards. Luke Altmyer led the team in passing, completing 16 of 25 attempts for 202 yards and a touchdown while adding 29 rushing yards. Kaden Feagin led the team in rushing with 11 carries for 85 yards. Isaiah Williams led the team in receiving, catching six of eight targets for 113 yards.

BookMaker has the Illinois Fighting Illini listed as 3.5-point favorites at home against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Friday night in week 6 of the college football season. Nebraska has won six of the last ten while Illinois has won the previous three matchups in a row while going 6-4 ATS in the last ten and 2-1 ATS in the last three games in the series. Nebraska is 2-3 ATS overall, 1-1 ATS on the road, 1-2 ATS as an underdog, and 1-1 ATS in conference games this season while the Illinois Fighting Illini are 0-5 ATS overall, 0-3 ATS at home, 0-3 ATS as a favorite, and 0-2 ATS in conference games on the year.

Both teams enter this game with a record of 2-3, however, Illinois has been the better team most recently in the series, winning the previous three matchups in a row. The Fighting Illini are 6-4 ATS in the last ten and 2-1 ATS in the last three games in the series. As a result, I am buying the .5 point and taking the Illinois Fighting Illini -3 at home against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Friday night in week 6 of the college football season on BookMaker.