ESPN’s FPI is predicting the season opener for Illinois. For a second straight season, the Illini open up the slate in Week 0 at home in Champaign.

This time around, Bret Bielema leads Illinois into a season-opening matchup against Wyoming. The Cowboys out of the Mountain West come to Champaign after a 7-6 year and bowl win in the 2021 season.

Heading into the matchup, the Football Power Index is predicting the showdown. Entering the game, the Illini are predicted to be overwhelming favorites with 75.1% odds to win the game.

While Illinois will be favored, it will be interesting to see how the offense looks in Week 0. The Illini still have a quarterback battle going on that will play a large role in the season, especially in terms of the offense getting off to a strong start out of the gate.

Illinois will be favored next Saturday, but BTN analysts are also wary of the matchup. According to Dave Wannstedt, this matchup will be between two teams of similar styles which means the game could swing on a key turnover.

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