← Matchups

UAB

AAC · 1-1 · power -1.0 · #189
Our numberILL -21.0 no book has priced this game

Illinois

B1G · 1-1 · power +18.3 · #44
Final UAB 23 · ILL 42 ML W Spread W Total W our logged sides, graded on the record
Our side
MoneylineILL to win logged ours 88%

Our number: ILL by 24.3 — ILL to win.

UAB team totalUAB over 13.5 logged ours 19.2

Our number: UAB 16.6, from our margin and total split into two scores.

ILL team totalILL under 41.5 logged live now: ILL over 40.5 — the pick stands, the number moved · ours 40.2

Our number: ILL 40.9, from our margin and total split into two scores.

Projected score 19–40 UAB – ILL
2026-09-03 · 9:00 PM Gies Memorial Stadium · Champaign, IL Early season

The books 5 account books · tap any price — the ticket builds at that book

Book UAB spreadILL spread OverUnder UAB winILL win UAB TT overUAB TT under ILL TT overILL TT under
DraftKings
FanDuel
BetMGM
ESPN Bet
Caesars

The gold price is the best available on that side; a gold marks the side our number implies — a read, not a pick. TT is a team total — that team’s own points, not the game’s; columns are empty where no book hangs one. Send to book opens whichever book you tapped, not the one we would have picked. Prices are the books’ own.

Public vs booksbets vs money · Action Network captured in-game spread UAB 75% bets · 84% money total Under 65% bets · 64% money ML ILL 94% bets · 74% money
First recorded meeting between these programs
2025 unit ranks — last completed season, from games actually played
Run game even 17 ranks apart
UAB Blazers #77 rush offense Illinois Fighting Illini #60 run defense
Pass game edge UAB Blazers 76 ranks
UAB Blazers #103 pass offense Illinois Fighting Illini #179 pass defense
Run game edge Illinois Fighting Illini 120 ranks
Illinois Fighting Illini #124 rush offense UAB Blazers #244 run defense
Pass game edge Illinois Fighting Illini 220 ranks
Illinois Fighting Illini #38 pass offense UAB Blazers #258 pass defense
UAB Blazers Balanced · 52% run Ball-control Illinois Fighting Illini Balanced · 54% run Ball-control
Trent Dilfer · 9-21 · offense-minded Bret Bielema · 56-45 · offense-minded

Ranked by team-unit strength (rush & pass offense vs. run & pass defense) across all 265 D1 teams, not by individual players. Identity, tempo and unit strength are measured from the 2025 season.

The evidence 2025 production and power ratings · supporting the number above

Who carried each team in 2025
UAB Blazers
K Jonah Delange 7 FG · 4 XP · 25 pts #6 K
LB Ike Esonwune 15 tkl #67 LB
LB Muaaz Byard 20 tkl · 1.5 TFL #126 LB
DB Jo'Tavion Pierce 11 tkl · 1 PD #244 DB
Illinois Fighting Illini
WR Collin Dixon 17 rec · 236 yds · 5 TD #5 WR
QB Katin Houser 453 pass yds · 6 TD · 1 INT #8 QB
LB Ismael Kante 10 tkl · 0.5 TFL #45 LB
LB Will Holmes 10 tkl · 1.0 sacks · 2.0 TFL #102 LB

Top-rated players from last season, ranked within their position across D1. A grade measures what a player produced, and no 2026 game has been played yet — so this is who produced for these programs in 2025, not a claim about who is on the field this year.

Power breakdown
TeamPowerOffDefRank
UAB BlazersAAC -1.0 +2.0 -3.0 #189
Illinois Fighting IlliniB1G +18.3 +9.8 +8.5 #44

Def is higher = better. The projection assumes a 2.4-pt home edge (0 at neutral sites).

Where the number comes from
UAB offense vs Illinois defense-6.5 pts
Illinois offense vs UAB defense+12.8 pts
Travel · context onlyAway team travels 461 mi

An efficiency adjustment from season-to-date EPA and success rate applies once teams have played enough games; before then it is 0 and the number is the power rating alone.

Situational spots are shown for context, not baked in: travel, altitude and rest were tested against 6,000+ games and the power and efficiency ratings already account for them. Adding them again would double-count.