Rutgers' improved effort in defeat against Indiana was not enough to make it an early favorite against Illinois.
The Scarlet Knights have opened as 1.5-point underdogs in Saturday's Big Ten conference matchup against the Illini at HighPoint.com Stadium in Piscataway, according to Vegas Insider. The line has since moved to Illinois -2.
The game will kick off at noon and be televised on BTN. It will be Rutgers' third consecutive home game as an underdog. The Scarlet Knights were about a 6-point underdog when Buffalo hammered them, 42-13, on Sept. 22 and covered as a 17-point underdog this past Saturday in a 24-17 loss to Indiana.