College Football Odds Week 3: Penn State vs Illinois Lines, Spreads, Betting Trends

Patrick Everson Sports Betting Expert

1 minute read

College football odds for Week 3 are on the board and receiving plenty of attention as we tackle all the major storylines of the weekend. The Penn State Nittany Lions and Illinois Fighting Illini meet at Memorial Stadium in Champaign on Saturday, September 16 at 12:00 p.m. ET on FOX.

Here's everything you need to know about the college football odds for the Week 3 game between Penn State vs Illinois: the opening lines, spreads, betting trends and more. Check back regularly for updates.

Penn State vs. Illinois Odds

• Opening point spread: Penn State -15
• Opening moneyline: Penn State -735/Illinois +520
• Opening total: Over/Under 48 points scored
• Time: Noon ET Saturday (FOX)

UPDATE 2 P.M. ET THURSDAY: Penn State dipped from -15.5 to 14.5 at PointsBet. That said, early tickets and money are in the 9/1 range on the Nittany Lions.

PointsBet nudged the total from 49 to 48.5, but again, early tickets and money are countering that move. The Over is getting 85% of bets/86% of money so far.

UPDATE 1 P.M. ET MONDAY: The Nittany Lions got a breather in Week 2, rolling past FCS foe Delaware State 63-7 as 43.5-point favorites. In Week 1, Penn State (2-0 SU and ATS) was laying 21 points at home vs. West Virginia and got the cover on a final-seconds TD in a 38-15 victory.

Illinois (1-1 SU, 0-2 ATS) is looking for its first spread-cover of the season. In Week 2, the Fighting Illini were 3.5-point underdogs at Kansas and lost 34-23.

This line actually backed up a point in TwinSpires' college football Week 3 odds market. Penn State went to -14.5, then -14, with 70% of tickets on the Nittany Lions, but early money running almost dead even.

"Sharp play on Illinois +15," Lucas said.

The total is stable at 48, with 55% of early tickets/58% of early cash on the Over.

Click here for Vegas Insider senior reporter Patrick Everson's full College Football Odds Week 3 Report containing spreads, lines, and trends for every Top 25 matchup.

Patrick Everson

Patrick Everson is a senior reporter for VegasInsider. Based in Las Vegas since 1994, he's worked in the sports betting journalism/content space for more than a decade. He's most known for his deep roster of contacts behind sportsbook counters, providing readers and viewers with the ins-and-outs of how events are being bet. He's also a thought leader in the sports betting space, often appearing on or moderating panels at national conferences. More from Patrick Everson