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Saturday, September 26, 2026

Ohio State vs. Illinois prediction, odds, time: 2026 Week 4 college football Saturday picks by proven model

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SportsLine's model has locked in its best bets for the Saturday Big Ten game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and Ohio State Buckeyes

• 2 min read

No. 7 Ohio State bounced back from a heartbreaking 24-23 road loss at No. 4 Texas in Week 2 with a 59-3 blowout of Kent State last week behind junior quarterback Julian Sayin. The Buckeyes (2-1) return home to Ohio Stadium on Saturday to face the Illinois Fighting Illini. The Fighting Illini come in at 2-1 as well, picking up their second win of the season with a 48-10 rout of Southern Illinois last week behind senior quarterback Katin Houser, who has put up impressive numbers through three games after a Week 2 loss to Duke. Claim the latest Polymarket promo code CBSSPORTS to get a $50 bonus after $10 in trades:

Kickoff is set for noon ET at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes are 26.5-point favorites in the latest Illinois vs. Ohio State odds. The over/under for total points is 54.5. Before making any Ohio State vs. Illinois picks, check out the Illinois vs Ohio State predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model. 

The model simulates every FBS game 10,000 times. It is off to a profitable 22-19 start on all top-rated college football picks at betting sites so far this season, and it has been upgraded for the 2026 season to better factor in the transfer portal. Anybody following its picks on college football betting sites could have seen strong returns. 

Now, the model has set its sights on Illinois vs. Ohio State. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the FBS college football odds and trends for Ohio State vs. Illinois:

Illinois vs. Ohio State spread

Ohio State -26.5

Illinois vs. Ohio State over/under

54.5 points

Illinois vs. Ohio State money line 

Ohio State -4348, Illinois +1675

Illinois vs. Ohio State picks

See picks at SportsLine

Illinois vs. Ohio State streaming 

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Top Illinois vs. Ohio State predictions

After simulating Illinois vs. Ohio State 10,000 times, the SportsLine model is going Under 54.5 points at betting apps. Sayin has shown playmaking ability for the Buckeyes, but a 2-1 Illinois defense that held Southern Illinois to 10 points last week gives the model reason to project a controlled, low-scoring environment at Ohio Stadium rather than a blowout shootout.

The advanced model calls for 48 combined points to be scored, as the Under hits in 58% of simulations. See the model's spread and money-line picks at SportsLine.

How to make Illinois vs. Ohio State picks

In addition to going Under on the total, the model also says one side of the spread hits more than 60% of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine. 

So who wins Illinois vs. Ohio State, and which side of the spread hits more than 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that's on a 22-19 run on top-rated CFB money-line picks, and find out.

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