Betting Trend: Illinois was 0-7 ATS at home last season.

Kansas is an explosion waiting to happen on offense and Illinois is weak up front after losing its two best defensive linemen from a unit that already struggled to stop the run. The Jayhawks have home run hitters in Jayden Daniels and Devin Neal, who are equipped to wear down the Illini front on Saturday. Neither had to play much in week one, so they should be rested and ready to rock in front of a sold-out Memorial Stadium crowd.

Ultimately, I predict the Jayhawks' fast pace will be too much for the Illini, who prefer to slow down the game by running the football and playing stout defense. KU can score at a moment's notice, though, as it did in last year's matchup. Daniels will be especially deadly off of play-action if Neal can run the football effectively early in the game. The Jayhawks' QB posted an 80% adjusted completion percentage on play-action throws last week.

Luke Altmyer had the Illini passing game working versus Eastern Illinois but that's not their game. If the Jayhawks bottle up the run well enough, U of I will be forced into too many passing situations than it's comfortable being in. This game projects to be a fun, back-and-forth affair for a while, but when the home team starts getting pressed into throwing the football, the visitors will pull away to win and cover the spread.

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