A primetime featurette pitting the Illinois Fighting Illini (2-0) against the South Florida Bulls (2-0) at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The meeting places the Big Ten against the American Athletic Conference in a cross-conference clash of undefeated squads. The two teams have never met and thus the game is one of national interest. The game will be broadcasted across the country on ESPN at 7:00 PM ET.
Illinois Fighting Illini at South Florida Bulls Overview
The Illini come in off an impressive 20-7 win against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in Champaign. The Illini came in as a six-point home pooch but managed to curtail the normally prolific Western Kentucky attack to just seven points. In the week leading up to this, Illinois edged out Ball State as a five-point choice in a 24-21 thriller. In 2016, the Illini won just three games. It is apparent that coach Lovie Smith is changing the culture of this club and it looks well on its way to potentially getting back to a bowl in 2017.
The Bulls feature perhaps one of the best players in America in field general Quinton Flowers. Simply put, Flowers can take over a game and dominate. So far, the Bulls have appeared stellar in the early going of 2017. In back-to-back weeks, the Bulls have taken down FCS opponent Stony Brook and Mountain West constituent San Jose State.
Illinois at South Florida Betting Trends
- Illinois has won their previous two outings.
- Illinois is 1-4 ATS in their previous five contests.
- South Florida has won their last seven games.
- South Florida is 4-6 ATS in their last 10 matches.