This is an 8* BLOWOUT SPECIAL on Illinois State.

Both the Illinois State Redbirds and the Eastern Illinois Panthers are 0-1 coming into this contest, but this is a matchup that definitely favors the Redbirds, and I expect them to pull away down the stretch for the comfortable win and ATS cover.

The Redbirds were 9.5-point favorites at home to Western Illinois, but fell 71-68.

Eastern Illinois fell 87-57 at Illinois as a 31-point underdog, covering the spread by a single point.

The competition in the Missouri Valley is much more stiff than in the Ohio Valley. The Panthers are also just 7-12 ATS in their last 19 as underdogs of 9.5 or more points. Eastern Illinois was just 4-9 at home last year.

Illinois State was terrible on the road last year, but this is a favorable early season matchup, and I expect the Redbirds to not only win this game, but to do so by a sizeable margin.

Lay the points, the play is ILLINOIS STATE.

Good luck, NP