Illinois Fighting Illini Odds

Illinois Fighting Illini 2025 Season Preview

Illinois football still brings that gritty, line-of-scrimmage identity under Bret Bielema, but they’re not sneaking up on anyone this year.

After a 10-win season in 2024, the Illini capped it off by beating South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl, 21-17. It was their first bowl win since 2011, and it bumped Bielema to 28-22 overall since taking the reins in 2021. Safe to say the program has some juice right now.

But the 2025 road isn’t a cakewalk. The Big Ten just got bigger and meaner, and Illinois will be tested early. They’re sitting at around +4000 to win the Big Ten, which puts them above teams like Indiana and Purdue, but a ways off from the top tier.

We have Illinois ranked No. 22 in our college football betting power ratings, sandwiched between TCU (No. 21) and Washington (No. 23). That gives them a power rating of 86.6, which puts them about a touchdown underdog on a neutral field against most top-10 opponents. Not elite, but certainly in the mix.

Here’s how you can bet on Illinois football this season, and what to keep in mind if you’re rolling with the Illini.

Betting on Illinois

There are plenty of ways to back Illinois this year, or fade them, if that’s where you land. Futures, moneylines, point spreads, totals (also known as over/under), you name it.

Betting Illinois Moneylines

Since Bielema took over, Illinois is 26-22 straight up. If you bet $100 on every Illini moneyline over that stretch, you’d be sitting on a tiny profit. That’s not nothing.

Here's a refresher on how moneylines work using a hypothetical Illini matchup:

• Illinois +150
• Indiana -130

The plus sign means Illinois is the underdog. A $100 bet on the Illini would net you $150 if they win. Indiana, at -130, would require a $130 wager to win $100. Clean and simple.

Illinois has played in a lot of tight games the last two seasons, so you’re likely to find coin-flip lines against mid-tier Big Ten teams.

If you want to plug these into a parlay or track line movement throughout the week, you can check out our college football odds page or use the parlay calculator to work through different combo plays.

Betting Illinois Point Spreads

If you’re not loving the volatility of straight-up wins, spreads might be your move.

Let’s say we get this line:

• Illinois -2.5 (-110)
• Purdue +2.5 (-110)

Here, Illinois has to win by 3 or more to cover. Pretty standard pricing at -110, meaning you’d wager $110 to win $100. Purdue just has to keep it close (or win outright) to cash their side.

Illinois went 7–6 against the spread last season, and most of those games were tight. They rarely get blown out, but they don’t always pull away, either. Expect more of the same in 2025.

If you’re new to spread betting, you can check out our guide on American odds or run some scenarios through our odds calculator before placing any future wagers.

Betting Illinois Totals

Totals (or over/unders) are where things get interesting with a team like Illinois. They’re not exactly an Air Raid offense, but they’ve opened things up more than you’d expect under Bielema.

Take last year’s Illinois vs. Minnesota matchup, where the total was 44.5:

• Over 44.5 (-110)
• Under 44.5 (-110)

Betting the over means you need at least 45 combined points. Under? Anything 44 or less, and you’re golden.

Illinois hit the over in 8 of 13 games last season, often thanks to their defense generating short fields and the offense doing just enough. Keep an eye on QB play and turnover margin if you’re leaning into totals.

Illinois Player Props & More

Player props in college football are still a mixed bag: some states allow them, others don’t. And thanks to a handful of scandals, the list of states where props are legal has actually shrunk.

If your state does offer props, you’ll usually find stuff like passing yards over/unders, anytime TDs, rushing totals, etc. It won’t be nearly as deep as the NFL board, but there’s still meat on the bone.

If props aren’t available, platforms like PrizePicks offer DFS-style (aka Daily Fantasy Sports) markets where you can pick multiple stats (e.g. “More than 84.5 rushing yards”) and build entries for larger payouts. It’s not betting per se, but it scratches the same itch.