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Illinois (1-1) has been just okay so far.
It was decent enough against UAB, but it got a Hail Mary at the end of the first half, the defense was leaky late, and while there wasn’t a ton of drama in the 42-23 win, it wasn’t sharp.
And then Duke came to town. Illinois had a 24-14 lead late in the third quarter, and the offense left the building as the Blue Devils went on a 17-3 run over the last 16 minutes. Now there’s a problem – the Big Ten season starts at Ohio State next week.
Southern Illinois (2-1) is a good FCS team with a nasty pass rush and an attacking defense to make this interesting.
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Illinois vs Southern Illinois: Quick Hits
- Southern Illinois usually isn’t awful against FBS teams. It lost to Purdue 34-17 last year and beat Northern Illinois to start the 2024 campaign.
- Illinois has played three FCS teams since 2018 and won by a combined score of 128-3.
- These two only played once. Illinois slipped by SIU 42-34 to open the 2013 season.
How To Watch Illinois vs Southern Illinois
Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026
Game Time: 3:30 PM ET
TV: Peacock
Location: Gies Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL
– Week 3 Schedule, Picks
– CFN Expert Picks: Week 3
Why Southern Illinois Will Win
The Salukis have found ways to score late.
The offense isn’t consistent, and it’s not getting off to a hot start, but almost half of the points are coming in the fourth quarter – SIU is outscoring teams 42-10 so far in the final frame.
The Illinois backups gave up a late score to UAB, and only allowed a field goal to Duke, but Illinois can’t take a break.
Why Illinois Will Win
Southern Illinois needs the pass rush to slow down what’s coming from the Illinois offense, but the Illini line has been terrific so far – for the most part.
It didn’t generate enough of a steady push for the ground game against Duke, but it has yet to allow a sack and has given up just three tackles for loss.
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Illinois vs Southern Illinois Prediction, Betting Lines
Illinois could use a sharp game before having to deal with the Buckeyes. That starts by figuring out how to stop third downs on one side and getting the ground game into a groove on the other.
More than anything else, Illinois has to find an attitude. It needs the swagger that only comes from getting physical, and it starts with a big performance against the FCS team.
Illinois 45, Southern Illinois 10
Latest Consensus Line: Illinois -39.5, o/u: 54.5
ATS Confidence (out of 5): 1.5
Must See Rating (out of 5): 1.5
Consensus line based on BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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This story was originally published September 16, 2026 at 9:37 PM.