First pick: Illinois +6
Illinois 83rd ranked offense and 107th ranked defense vs. Louisiana Tech's 13th ranked offense and 54th ranked defense. Sounds like a real mismatch.....like LT should win by 14+. I don't think that will happen, just like I didn't think Marshall's nationally 6th ranked defense meant squat against WKU.
We've got a Big 10 team playing a CUSA team, so the rankings are skewed to hell based on SOS.
I look for the Fighting Illini to represent the Big 10 and come out motivated to avoid the loss to a team in a lesser conference. Also, it’s not as though they’ll get caught flat footed by LT, since they have a whole season’s worth of film to look at.
My opinion is also based on the fact that LT has suspended 4 starters for academic reasons, including a couple of key guys on the OL and 1 on D. LT covered for me (+11) on a large wager backing them against Marshall after the suspensions, but I think we’ll see more of the impact of those suspensions against Illinois, and I see it presenting a real issue for Cody Sokol.
Of course, the risk is that the Fighting Illini come out and just don’t give a damn about playing a CUSA team. I don’t think the Seniors want to go out that way, and hopefully the rest of the team rallies around them. I also factor in the "Skip Holtz" effect, which is an automatic deduction of 3 pts from what I've capped, lol.
By the way……I just read an article by a respected college capper stating that he has LT winning by 12. Me personally, I’ve got Illinois covering +6.
BOL either way.