The Oregon Ducks improved to 4-2 on the season in dramatic fashion on Saturday night, as Dylan Raiola came off the bench once again to lead a pair of fourth-quarter scoring drives against his former team and deliver a 17-14 win in Autzen Stadium.
Now, for the first time in nearly a month, the Ducks will hit the road. Oregon will travel east to Illinois for an afternoon kickoff against the Illini in Champaign. It will be the Ducks' third-ever visit to the Illini and first such trip since a low-scoring win in 1993.
It's been a trying season for both teams, but the Illini have had a much rougher go of things. FanDuel Sportsbook has opened the betting line with Oregon as an 11.5-point favorite on the road against Illinois. Another low-scoring game is expected, with the over/under set at 50.5 total points. Oregon is a big favorite, however, boasting -450 money line odds against Illinois' +340 odds.
The Illini will have the benefit of rest and extra preparation coming off the bye week. Illinois will be without starting quarterback Katin Houser, who broke his left hand against Michigan State. Freshman quarterback Michael Clayton II tossed two touchdowns off the bench and led the Illini to an overtime victory over the Spartans, and now he will likely make his first career start when the Ducks come to town.
Raiola's sharp performance against Nebraska was a much-needed boost in confidence, but Dan Lanning said after the game that Raiola and Brock Thomas will continue to compete in practice for the starting job. Of course, the Ducks would love to get Dante Moore back on the field, and a win over the Cornhuskers certainly improved the odds of that happening. Moore's status is still worth watching this week.
Lanning has yet to lose a Big Ten road game, and he will look to continue that streak of success against an Illini defense that has really struggled this season. Oregon and Illinois are set for a noon PT kickoff from Champaign on Oct. 24, with the game airing live on Big Ten Network.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon opens as double-digit road favorite vs. Illinois