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The Illinois Fighting Illini will square off against the Charlotte 49ers at noon ET on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Illinois is out to stop a three-game streak of losses at home.
The Fighting Illini didn't finish too far behind, but the squad still lost 13-9 to the Purdue Boilermakers last week.
Meanwhile, Charlotte narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Middle Tenn. Blue Raiders 42-39. Having forecasted a close victory for Charlotte, the oddsmakers were right on the money. QB Chris Reynolds had a stellar game for Charlotte as he passed for four TDs and 339 yards on 36 attempts in addition to rushing for one TD and 32 yards.
This next contest looks promising for Illinois, who are favored by a full 11 points. They hadn't treated fans well this season, but they at least enjoy a 3-1 record against the spread.
The Fighting Illini are now 1-4 while the 49ers sit at 3-1. A pair of defensive stats to keep an eye on: Illinois is 230th worst in the nation in passing yards allowed per game, with 312.4 on average. Charlotte has experienced some struggles of their own as they are stumbling into the game with the 223rd most rushing yards allowed per game in the nation, having given up 230.3 on average. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
