Spread Released for Purdue-Illinois Rivalry Game in Week 6
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For a third straight game, Purdue will be a major underdog. The spread for the Week 6 rivalry game between the Boilermakers and No. 22 Illinois has been released from FanDuel SportsBook.
Illinois has opened as a 10.5-point favorite, according to FanDuel. It's the third straight game in which the Boilermakers have been underdogs. They were 23.5-point underdogs to USC on Sept. 13 and 26.5-point underdogs to Notre Dame on Sept. 20.
The Boilermakers lost each of those games, falling 33-17 to the Trojans and 56-30 to the Fighting Irish. Purdue is coming off a bye week.
Meanwhile, Illinois is fresh off a big home victory over No. 21 USC. The Fighting Illini won in thrilling fashion, as David Olano made a 41-yard field goal as time expired to lift Illinois to a 34-32 victory in Champaign.
Purdue enters Saturday's game with a 2-2 record, and Illinois is now 4-1. The game will be played in West Lafayette, and kickoff is set for noon ET. The game will air on the Big Ten Network.
Purdue vs. Illinois all-time series
The all-time series between Purdue and Illinois has been incredibly close. The Boilermakers own a narrow 48-46-6 advantage, but they've really dominated the rivalry in recent seasons.
Purdue has won seven of the last nine meetings and 15 of the last 20 matchups. Illinois did win last year's game at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, posting a 50-49 overtime victory.
Illinois has also lost to Purdue the last two times it has visited Ross-Ade Stadium. In 2023, Purdue blew out the Fighting Illini 44-19.
As the head coach at Illinois, Bret Bielema owns a 1-3 record against Purdue. He owns a 6-3 record against the Boilermakers all-time, going 5-0 against Purdue during his time at Wisconsin (2006-12).
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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