Purdue Boilermakers vs Illinois Fighting Illini Prediction, 10/3/2026 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Purdue Boilermakers vs Illinois Fighting Illini

Date: Saturday, October 3, 2026

Location: Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign, IL

TV: BTN

Odds/Point Spread: Fighting Illini (-10.5)

Total/Over-Under: 58.5

The Illinois Fighting Illini (2-2) are welcoming the Purdue Boilermakers (1-3) at Gies Memorial Stadium on Saturday, October 3, 2026. Illinois opens this contest as 10.5-point favorites. The total is set at 58.5.

The Purdue Boilermakers come into this matchup with a record of 1-3 for this year. The last time they stepped onto the field, the Boilermakers faced the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 49-10. The Purdue Boilermakers ran the football 31 times and tallied 40 yards, which came out to an average of 1.3 yards per carry. On the day, they tallied 68 plays which gave them 218 yds. Purdue relinquished 16 pass completions on 26 attempts for 267 yards, and a completion rate of 61.5%. When it came to stopping the run, the Boilermakers conceded 177 yards on 32 tries, which calculates to 5.5 yds per rush surrendered.

When talking about putting the ball in the endzone, the Purdue Boilermakers are averaging 32.0 PPG. As a unit they maintain an average of 101.5 yards rushing which ranks them 126th in Division 1. The Boilermakers have tallied 1,684 total yards this season. In terms of notching touchdowns, Purdue has compiled 8 passing touchdowns and 6 rushing touchdowns. Purdue has earned 96 1st downs, and they have been hurt by 29 infractions for 226 yards. They have turned the ball over 4 different times.

Concerning yards via the pass, the Boilermakers have given up 986 yds which ranks them 111th in the country. They have surrendered 246.5 yards per game via the pass and conceding a completion percentage of 59.0%. In total, they have surrendered 446.0 yards per outing which has them sitting 132nd in Division 1. They have conceded 9 touchdowns via the pass in addition to 10 touchdowns on the ground. They are allowing 5.5 yards per rush and 199.5 rushing yards per game on the season. Overall, they have allowed 798 rushing yards through 4 games. The Boilermakers rank 136th in D-1 in terms of their opponents scoring, giving up 39.5 PPG.

Get all of our Free College Football Picks

The Fighting Illini come into this matchup with a record of 2-2 for this season. The last time they took the gridiron, the Fighting Illini went home defeated by a final of 42-19 when they faced the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Fighting Illini finished the game with 462 yds while running 71 plays (6.5 yds per play). Illinois rushed for 6.0 yds per carry, totaling 199 yards on 33 attempts. Illinois allowed 32 run attempts for 151 yards (4.7 yards per rush). The Fighting Illini pass defense allowed a completion rate of 75.0%, relinquishing 367 yds on 27 out of 36 passing.

The Illinois Fighting Illini are averaging 419.8 yards per contest, ranking them 59th in the country. The Illinois offense has compiled 170 yds of penalties on 19 violations, which is 118th in the nation in terms of hurting your team. They average 164.5 run yards per game and have rushed for 658 yards overall. They have given away 2 interceptions while losing no fumbles and they have been able to tally 86 first downs. When it comes to their scoring prowess, the Fighting Illini are ranked 52nd in the country by scoring 34.0 points per game. For the year to this point, the Fighting Illini have thrown for a total of 1,021 passing yards together with holding an average of 255.3 throwing yards per contest, which ranks 51st in the nation.

The Fighting Illini are allowing 26.5 points per game, which puts them 100th in Division 1. Illinois has given up a total of 544 yards via the ground game (136.0 yards per contest) and 4 touchdowns via the rush for the campaign. They have surrendered 9 touchdowns via the pass as well as 255.0 yards per game, which puts them in 119th in college football. The Fighting Illini defense has been on the field for 273 plays, ranking them 102nd in college football. They have totaled no fumbles and 2 interceptions on the campaign. Overall, they have conceded 106 points.

Who will win tonight's Boilermakers/Fighting Illini college football game against the spread?

Tony's Pick: Take the Boilermakers +10.5

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Get college football picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.