For the third time in four years, Illinois is bowling.
And for the second time in as many years, Illinois is hoping to win a bowl (and claim back-to-back nine-win seasons for the first time… ever).
But not so fast, my friend: The oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook think the Illini have some work to do — the Orange and Blue opened Sunday night as 6.5-point underdogs to Tennessee in the Music City Bowl.
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FanDuel’s moneyline for the Volunteers is -225, while it’s +184 for the Illini.
The total was set at 61.5, so the oddsmakers are predicting something in the area of 33-27, which definitely seems reasonable if the Illini don’t see a bunch of players opt out, including Luke Altmyer, who started every game at QB this past season.
Illinois (8-4, 5-4 Big Ten) has never faced Tennessee (8-4, 4-4 SEC) in football, so there will be some history on the line.
“We are excited to accept the invitation to a first-class bowl game against a quality SEC opponent in Tennessee,” said head coach Bret Bielema in a statement Sunday. “This is an outstanding opportunity for our program and our fans to celebrate one of the most accomplished groups of seniors in Illinois history with a national spotlight. We will see all the Illini FamILLy in Nashville.”
Kickoff in Nashville is set for 4:30 p.m. CT on Dec. 30. The game will air on ESPN.
