You Still Can’t Bet On Illinois College Football Teams, But That Could Change This Season

Written By Joe Boozell on August 26, 2021

Illinois vs. Nebraska will be the first college football game of Week 1, but residents of Illinois may not be allowed to place bets on the Illini.

This is because betting on college teams within Illinois is prohibited. This restriction has been a major concern for the Illinois gambling community, especially during March Madness. When Illinois, as a No. 1 seed, faced Loyola-Chicago in the Round of 32, it was a unique in-state matchup that no one could wager on.

But in the most recent legislative session, the House passed a bill that seeks to repeal the prohibition on in-state college betting. The only caveat is that the ban on online betting would remain in place, requiring bettors to place their bets in person at physical sportsbooks.

Rep. Michael Zalewski, a strong supporter of repealing current laws, told Play Illinois that he hopes the compromise on in-person betting will eventually lead to repealing mobile betting as well. But for now, the main focus is on in-person wagering.

The bill is still pending a vote in the Senate and may be considered during the October veto session. Senator Cristina Castro provided an explanation for why the Senate did not vote on the bill during the spring legislative session.

The Senate did not have the opportunity to thoroughly examine and analyze it. I believe it is mostly a minor cleanup measure for the Senate, not very significant. There are only a few items that I believe warrant further investigation, as I was last aware of them before our adjournment.

With that being said, the act was approved by the House with a vote of 96 to 11. As a result, it is highly probable that it will also pass in the Senate when voted on.

If all goes well, we might be able to start placing bets on Illinois teams at the beginning of the Big Ten season.

Illinois college football teams are not beloved by betting areas.

Not being ready to wager on Illinois college football teams has a positive side – they are not anticipated to have a strong performance in 2021.

Illinois, Northwestern, and Northern Illinois are the three FBS institutions in the Prairie State.

If you are located in the state, you will not see the odds for these teams on your sports betting apps. However, in other regions, DraftKings Sportsbook determines the over/under win total for this trio in the following way:

Northwestern for over/under 6
Over/Under: 3.5 in Illinois
The over/under for Northern Illinois is set at 3.5.

Maybe it’s more regrettable that you can’t envision challenging these groups in their current state rather than backing them.

After a solid showing at the Big Ten Championship Game, Northwestern is anticipated to deliver a respectable performance. However, they will be missing key players such as quarterback Peyton Ramsey, who graduated, as well as offensive tackle Rashawn Slater and cornerback Greg Newsome, both of whom were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Nebraska vs. Illinois chances

If you run a local business in Indiana or Iowa, you have the legal right to place bets on the Nebraska vs. Illinois event.

The Cornhuskers are currently ahead by 7 points against the Illini. The game is scheduled to take place at Memorial Stadium in Champaign and will be televised on FOX this Saturday at 12 p.m. CST.

Nebraska, who was originally favored by 9.5 points, experienced a shift in the odds for Bret Bielema’s first game as head coach, now favoring the home underdogs. The total point spread for the game is 55.

Nebraska finished last year with a 3-5 record in the Big Ten, while Illinois had a 2-6 record. While college football fans typically look forward to Labor Day weekend, soccer enthusiasts will have August 28 circled on their calendars.