Illinois Fighting Illini vs Kent State Golden Flashes Point Spread Picks

This is a tough opener for rebuilding Kent State, off a 2-10 train wreck campaign last season. They have a new coach in 32-year-old Sean Lewis - the youngest head coach in FBS. The Golden Flashes still don't know who their starting quarterback is between sophomores Woody Barrett and Dustin Crum. Crum threw more picks than TDs last season while Barrett didn't throw a pass. The new coaching staff has a lot to do as Kent State scored only 12.8 points per game a season ago. This team stepped up twice last year and got roasted, losing 56-3 to Clemson and 42-3 to Louisville. The Golden Flashes are 2-8 ATS against the Big Ten and head to Illinois, where third-year coach Lovie Smith needs a good season after winning only two games in 2017. Senior transfer AJ Bush is the new starting quarterback and has excellent targets in WR Mike Dudek and Ricky Smalling. Smalling ranked fourth in the Big Ten with 16.5 yards per catch as a freshman, finishing with a team-high 510 receiving yards. Illinois has won 20 consecutive home openers, the fourth-longest active streak in the nation. Coach Smith has played a ton of young players, including seven starters back on defense and four O-line starters. All that will be pay dividends against a MAC team in this opener. Play Illinois.