Oregon vs. Illinois Betting Pick: Take the Illini +10

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Illinois Backed to Cover Against an Unsettled Oregon Team

Oregon’s game against Illinois may not be a ranked matchup, but it remains important. Oregon nearly cost itself the season by starting Brock Thomas after Dylan Rayola’s miserable performance against UCLA.

Starting Thomas appeared questionable, especially with Oregon favored by 6.5 points last week. The expectation was that Rayola would bounce back against his former team, but Dan Lanning stayed with Thomas for three full quarters.

Oregon trailed 14-6 when Rayola entered the game. The team scored on both of his drives and added a two-point conversion to create some breathing room. Rayola was not incredible, but his performance was a significant improvement over Thomas.

Even if Rayola now has the starting job, Illinois plus 10 is the preferred side. Last week may have been Rayola’s opportunity to rebound, but backing Oregon on the road while laying double digits is not appealing.

Some people in the betting community liked the decision to play Thomas, but his performance did not justify that confidence. Until Oregon establishes a clearer plan at quarterback, the team is difficult to trust from a betting perspective.