The Illinois Fighting Illini enter this week 4-0 after a 31-24 victory over Nebraska last Friday. They moved up to No. 19 in the AP Poll after last week's win, and they also have a victory over a talented Kansas team.
This week, the Illini will hit the road to take on the No. 9 Penn State Nittany Lions.
Penn State is also undefeated at 3-0 and is coming off a 56-0 victory over Kent State. In Week 1, Penn State won at West Virginia, defeating the Mountaineers by 22 points.
The Nittany Lions are calling for “white out energy,” which has been the subject of social media controversy this week, as this game is not the official “White Out” game for Penn State.
Illinois has been great this season, but it will likely struggle on the ground this week against a stellar Penn State interior. With big plays needed from its quarterback and star receiver, we'll start our same-game parlay on the Illini's side.
Let's get to the Illinois vs. Penn State odds, picks and predictions in our same-game parlay for Saturday, Sept. 28.
Penn State vs. Illinois Odds
| Penn State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-19 -110 | 48.5 -108o / -112u | -1100 |
| Illinois Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+19 -110 | 48.5 -108o / -112u | +700 |
Illinois vs. Penn State Picks, Parlay, Predictions
- Luke Altmyer 179+ Passing Yards (-115)
- Pat Bryant 60+ Receiving Yards (+130)
- Nicholas Singleton 90+ Rushing Yards (+135)
- Parlay Odds: +625 via DraftKings
Please always remember to bet responsibly. SGPs are long shots for a reason.
Pick 1: Luke Altmyer 179+ Passing Yards
Altmyer has been sensational for the Illini to start the season, and his upgraded play is a huge reason Illinois enters this content 4-0.
He has gone over this number in all four contests, including a 45-0 win over Eastern Illinois in which Illinois took its foot off the gas.
Altmyer has three 200-plus yard passing games, and his lowest total on the season was a 25-attempt, 192-yard performance against Kansas.
Illinois’ best formula for success in this game is definitely through the air. The Illini rank 16th in Pass Success, while Penn State ranks just 34th in that area on defense.
The passing game is one of just two statistical categories that Illinois has the advantage on paper, along with Finishing Drives.
As an 18-point underdog, Illinois will likely fall behind at some point in this game. It should already be leaning into a pass-heavy game plan, but if the game script plays out as expected, Altmyer should be throwing the ball quite a bit.
You can add alternate lines to get a better number, but we’ll start with a high-probability outcome here of 179+ yards at -115 odds.
Pick 2: Pat Bryant 60+ Receiving Yards
Next, we move to a player with a high correlation rate to a big day for Altmyer.
Altmyer’s favorite target this season has been star wide receiver Pat Bryant. On the year, Bryant has tallied 20 receptions for 309 yards and six touchdowns.
Bryant is always heavily involved, and he's Altmyer’s most reliable option in the red zone and on third downs. He has gone over 60 yards receiving in all four games this season, with his lowest total being a 63-yard performance in Week 1 against Eastern Illinois before Illinois subbed out most of its stars.
Since then, Bryant has posted at least 70 yards in three consecutive weeks, highlighted by a seven-catch, 102-yard performance against Central Michigan.
Penn State’s secondary is its biggest vulnerability, as evidenced by its struggles against Bowling Green in a near-upset in Happy Valley.
The Falcons’ top two receivers went off in that game, with Harold Fannin Jr. notching 11 receptions for 137 yards and Malcolm Johnson posting eight receptions for 81 yards.
Altmyer will be throwing a lot in this game, and Bryant, as usual, will be the biggest beneficiary.
Pick 3: Nicholas Singleton 90+ Rushing Yards
For our final leg, we turn our attention to one of the most underappreciated running backs in all of college football.
He doesn’t get the shine that Ollie Gordon or the Ohio State tandem does, but Nick Singleton is a monster.
He's averaging 8.5 yards per carry on the year. Through just three games, he has 37 carries for 314 yards and two touchdowns.
Singleton opened the year with back-to-back 110-plus yard games on the ground, posting 114 yards on 13 carries against West Virginia followed by 119 yards on the same number of carries against Bowling Green.
Singleton didn’t receive the workload he could have against Kent State, as Penn State rolled to a 56-point shutout win, but he still posted 81 yards on just 11 carries.
Penn State will need to run the ball to control this game for 60 minutes. Illinois’ offense is capable of hanging with the Nittany Lions, and its secondary is opportunistic at forcing turnovers.
All of Illinois’ big wins have come with big interceptions, and Penn State would be wise to give Singleton a heavy workload here to avoid that.
Singleton running for 90-plus yards at +135 is incredible value for one of the best backs in the country. Add it together, and our same-game parlay pays out at +625 odds.
