Southern Illinois vs Illinois Picks and Prediction for Saturday, September 19, 2026

The Southern Illinois Salukis visit the Illinois Fighting Illini on Saturday at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign, with the opening kickoff at 2:00 PM ET and televised on Peacock. Southern Illinois is 2-1 overall and 0-0 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference after beating Southeast Missouri State 34-20. Illinois is 1-1 overall and 0-0 in the Big Ten following a 31-27 loss to Duke. The Salukis have won two straight since their opening loss, while the Fighting Illini are trying to rebound after their first defeat. Get ready for Saturday’s matchup with our free NCAAF picks.

Southern Illinois Salukis Building on Consecutive Wins

Southern Illinois has responded to its 34-31 opening loss at West Florida with victories over Samford and Southeast Missouri State. Jake Curry has completed 26 of 58 passes for 306 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. DJ Williams has also thrown for 305 yards and one touchdown. The Salukis have been productive on the ground with 570 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 4.7 yards per attempt. Chandler Chapman leads the rushing attack with 278 yards on 52 carries, averaging 5.3 yards per attempt.

Kyle Thomas has been the leading threat in the receiving corps, catching 10 passes for 211 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 21.1 yards per reception. Allen Middleton has 11 catches for 110 yards, while Markell Quick has added 71 yards. Southern Illinois has recorded six sacks and five interceptions. Ibrahim Sanogo leads the Salukis with 3.5 sacks, while Ben Fiegel and Andrew Behm have 26 tackles apiece. Fiegel has also recorded an interception, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

Injuries: No injuries to report.

Illinois Fighting Illini Trying to Respond After a Close Loss

Illinois opened with a 42-23 victory over UAB before falling 31-27 to Duke. Katin Houser has completed 37 of 52 passes for 453 yards, six touchdowns and one interception, completing 71.2 percent of his attempts. The Fighting Illini have also rushed for 261 yards and two touchdowns. Ca'Lil Valentine leads the ground game with 144 yards and one touchdown on 29 attempts, while Houser has added 47 yards and a score at 6.7 yards per carry.

Collin Dixon has been Houser’s top receiver with 17 catches for 236 yards and five touchdowns. Ty Robinson has added 67 yards and a touchdown on three receptions, while Hudson Clement has seven catches for 71 yards. Illinois has recorded two sacks and one interception on defense. Matthew Bailey leads the Fighting Illini with 12 tackles, while Ismael Kante has 10 tackles and a 59-yard interception return for a touchdown. Will Holmes and Ean Rhea have each recorded a sack.

Injuries: Jordan Anderson, D. Brown, J. Platt, K. Alston, N. Rankin, W. Vala III, J. Harvey, J. Forster and J. Eberhart are questionable. G. Smith, B. Thurman, A. Perry and T. Hollinger are out.

Southern Illinois vs Illinois Key to the Game

Southern Illinois needs its defensive front to pressure Houser and disrupt an Illinois passing attack that has produced six touchdowns with only one interception. Sanogo has 3.5 sacks, and the Salukis have recorded six sacks as a team. Illinois can make that difficult by staying productive with Valentine on the ground. The Salukis also need Curry to protect the football after throwing three interceptions. Sustained rushing production from Chapman can help Southern Illinois avoid putting its passing game in difficult situations against the Fighting Illini.

Southern Illinois vs Illinois Game Pick

• Illinois

Illinois is the pick behind a passing attack that has produced strong numbers with Houser at quarterback. Houser has completed 71.2% of his passes for 453 yards, six touchdowns and one interception, while Dixon has already caught five touchdown passes. Southern Illinois has won two straight and has created five interceptions, but Curry has completed only 44.8 percent of his throws with three interceptions. Chapman can keep the Salukis competitive on the ground, but Illinois has the stronger passing game and will respond at home after losing to Duke.

Southern Illinois vs Illinois Over/Under Pick

• Over

Over is the pick with Southern Illinois scoring at least 22 points in each of its three games and Illinois producing 69 points across two contests. The Salukis have rushed for 570 yards and six touchdowns while also throwing five touchdown passes. Illinois has Houser working with Dixon, who has five touchdowns on 17 receptions, and Valentine has averaged 5.0 yards per rush. Southern Illinois has enough offensive production to contribute, while Illinois has already scored at least 27 points in each game. The over is the play in this game.