College Football Week 2 Odds, Picks & Prediction: Virginia vs. Illinois (2022)

Let’s take a look at the College Football Week 2 odds, picks, and predictions for this week’s game: Virginia vs. Illinois.

And check out our other game previews for Week 2:

• Alabama vs. Texas
• USC vs. Stanford
• Baylor vs. BYU
• Kentucky vs. Florida
• Mississippi State vs. Arizona
• Ohio vs. Penn State
• Duke vs. Northwestern
• Maryland vs. Charlotte
• Hawaii vs. Michigan
• Virginia vs. Illinois
• Oregon State vs. Fresno State
• UAB vs. Liberty
• Tennessee vs. Pittsburgh
• Ohio State vs. Arkansas State
• Texas Tech vs. Houston
• TCU vs. Tarleton State
• Arizona State vs. Oklahoma State
• UNC vs. Georgia State
• Colorado vs. Air Force
• Houston vs. Texas Tech
• Ohio vs. Penn State
• South Carolina vs. Arkansas
• Notre Dame vs. Marshall
• Miami vs. Southern Miss

Check out Thor Nystrom’s Week 2 College Football Power Rankings >>

College Football Week 2 Odds, Picks & Prediction: Virginia vs. Illinois

This is the second-straight week the books have opened Illinois with a weird number. Last week, it was opening the Illini as four-point underdogs to Indiana. That appeared to be a mistake line. Illini gagged away a win late and lost 23-20, but covered most spread tickets purchased through mid-week.

This week, the books have surprisingly swung the other way, despite Illinois' late-game collapse. This time, it's the Illini who are getting too much respect. My numbers say Virginia should be favored.

I do think that Virginia's front-seven will have issues with Illinois' physical downhill running game. I also think that Illinois is going to have more problems defending Virginia's high-octane passing attack, which includes four future NFL receivers and a quarterback who may get drafted in Brennan Armstrong. I like the Cavs to spring the upset.

Bet: Virginia (+4.5)

What is Betting Against the Spread?

Betting "against the spread" refers to the act of choosing the winning team based on a numeric handicap placed on the team that oddsmakers believe is superior, rather than picking the outright winner. For example, if the Rams face the Bengals, and oddsmakers set the spread at Rams -3.5, you would need Los Angeles to win by 4 or more points in order to cash your Rams bet.

What is an Over/Under Bet?

Over/Under is a wager based on how many points you think will be scored in a specific game. Oddsmakers set the total, and bettors decide whether the final score will be higher or lower than that number. If an Over/Under is set at 44.5 points and you bet Over, you will need the combined score of both teams to be 45 points or higher to win your bet.

What is a Moneyline Bet?

A moneyline bet involves choosing which team you believe will win a specific matchup. The moneyline favorite carries a minus designation, like -130. This means that you need to wager $130 to earn a $100 profit. Conversely, the underdog carries a plus designation, like +110. This means that you win $110 in profit on a $100 bet.

Prop Bet Analyzer: View top rated props and historical prop performance by player >>

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