Last Updated on September 5, 2025 7:31 pm by Alex Becker
Number 11 Illinois heads to Durham to face unranked Duke at 12:00 PM ET on ESPN on Saturday afternoon. Can the Blue Devils cover the 2.5-point spread as home underdogs this weekend? Keep reading for our Illinois vs. Duke betting prediction.
Illinois is 1-0 straight up and 1-0 against the spread this year. They have yet to lose a game this year, and their only win came against Western Illinois.
Duke is 1-0 straight up and 0-1 against the spread this year. They haven’t lost yet this season, and they defeated Elon in Week 1.
Illinois vs. Duke Matchup & Betting Odds
335 Illinois Fighting Illini (-2.5) at 336 Duke Blue Devils (+2.5); o/u 49.5
12:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, September 6, 2025
Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham, NC
TV: ESPN
Illinois vs. Duke Public Betting Prediction
As of this writing, our CFB Public Betting page shows that 53% of bets are on Illinois. That said, this page is updated frequently, so make sure that you click on the link provided so that you’re getting the most updated information.
Illinois Fighting Illini Game Notes
Fighting Illini cornerback Jaheim Clark (hamstring) is doubtful to play in Saturday’s game. Torrie Cox Jr. and Kaleb Patterson should receive most of the snaps at cornerback this weekend.
Illinois guard Ayden Knapik (knee), tight end Grant Smith (undisclosed), guard JJ Hirdes (knee), running back John Forster (undisclosed), and defensive back Tywan Cox (undisclosed) have all been ruled out for Saturday’s game against Duke.
Duke Blue Devils Game Notes
Blue Devils safety Terry Moore is recovering from a torn ACL and will miss Saturday’s game against the Fighting Illini. Sam Houston State graduate transfer Caleb Weaver will start at free safety while redshirt sophomore DaShawn Stone will man the strong safety spot for the Blue Devils on Saturday. It’s worth noting that the Blue Devils held Elon to 112 passing yards on 6.2 yards per attempt in their 45-17 win over the Phoenix last weekend.
Illinois vs. Duke Betting Trends
Illinois is 9-12 ATS as a road favorite since the start of the 2003 season.
The Fighting Illini are 14-16-2 ATS in non-conference games since the start of the 2015 season.
Duke is 29-15 ATS in non-conference games since the start of the 2015 season.
Duke is 6-3-1 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
Illinois vs. Duke Betting Prediction
I like Duke in this matchup. A few numbers will illustrate why. The Blue Devils are 15-9-1 ATS as a home underdog and 36-30-3 ATS as an underdog since the beginning of the 2015 season. What’s more, Duke is 30-26-1 ATS after a win and 33-29-1 ATS as the home team since the start of the 2015 campaign.
The Blue Devils’ new quarterback, Tulane transfer Darian Mensah, should also play a big role in helping Duke cover this game. Mensah posted a passer rating of 166.7 in 13 games last season and threw for 389 yards and 3 touchdowns in Duke’s Week 1 win over Elon last weekend. For those reasons, I’m taking the Blue Devils in this one. The pick is Duke +2.5 points over Illinois at Bovada.lv.