Ohio State vs. Illinois Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for College Football Week 7

Betting odds, pick and prediction for the Ohio State-Illinois matchup in Week 7 of the college football season.

The Ohio State Buckeyes and quarterback Julian Sayin are 5-0 this season. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes take on their second ranked opponent of the 2025 season in Week 7, as they’ll hit the road to play the No. 17 Illinois Fighting Illini.

After an embarrassing 63-10 loss to Indiana earlier this season, Illinois has bounced back to beat then-No. 21 USC and Purdue in impressive showings from quarterback Luke Altmeyer (he threw for over 300 yards in both games). 

Despite that, oddsmakers view the Buckeyes as a much tougher challenge. Ohio State is a 15.5-point road favorite in this game, as it has wins over Texas, Washington and Minnesota during its 5-0 start to the season.

Julian Sayin leads the country in completion percentage (80.2 percent), and it’s helped the Ohio State offense rank eighth in the country in EPA/Play.

Let’s take a look at the odds, players to watch and my prediction for this Big Ten battle in Week 7. 

Ohio State vs. Illinois Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

• Ohio State -15.5 (-110)
• Illinois +15.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Ohio State: -700
• Illinois: +500

Total

• 50.5 (Over -112/Under -108)

Ohio State vs. Illinois How to Watch

• Date: Saturday, Oct. 11
• Time: 12:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Memorial Stadium
• How to Watch (TV): FOX
• Ohio State record: 5-0
• Illinois record: 5-1

Ohio State vs. Illinois Key Players to Watch

Luke Altmeyer, Quarterback, Illinois

If Illinois wants any chance of pulling off an upset on Saturday, Altmeyer is going to need to be special. 

The Illinois quarterback has completed 73.6 percent of his passes this season, throwing 12 scores and no interceptions. He’s hit the 300-yard mark in back-to-back weeks after a terrible 146-yards showing in the blowout loss to Indiana.

Ohio State ranks eighth in the country in EPA/Pass, and it has allowed less than 10 points in every game this season. So, it’s going to take a special showing from Altmeyer to even cover in Week 7. 

If he does play well enough and Illinois wins, he could jump up big time in the odds to win the Heisman this season. 

Ohio State vs. Illinois Prediction and Pick

While the Buckeyes have been one of the most dominant teams in the country this season, I don’t love laying the number with them in this spot – especially on the road.

Ohio State has wins by seven and 18 points in its toughest matchups (Texas and Washington) this season, scoring just 38 total points in those games.

The most reliable part of this Ohio State team is its defense, as it allows less than 10 points per game and has given up just 215.8 total yards of offense per contest in 2025. The Buckeyes have held opponents to seven, zero, nine, six and three points. 

Altmeyer may be the best quarterback that the Buckeyes have faced to date, but he struggled against another College Football Playoff Contender in Indiana, leading the Fighting Illini to just 10 points.

The Buckeyes (eighth in EPA/Play on defense, fourth in Net EPA/Play) are an extremely tough test for this Illinois offense, which does rank 16th in the country in EPA/Play.

Ultimately, I trust Ohio State to keep this game low-scoring. The Buckeyes have combined for 21, 70 (they scored all 70), 46, 30 and 45 points in five games. 

Pick: UNDER 50.5 (-108 at DraftKings)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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