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llinois Fighting Illini at No. 14 Wisconsin Badgers (-20, 51.5), Friday, 8 p.m. ET
• Illinois is one of five teams 3-0 ATS or better versus ranked teams since last season. The others are Tulsa (5-0), East Carolina (3-0), Purdue (3-0) and SMU (3-0).
• The Fighting Illini are 7-2 ATS against Big Ten teams since the start of last season, including 5-1 ATS as a double-digit underdog.
• This would be the fifth straight meeting in which Wisconsin is favored by at least 20 points (2-2 ATS, 3-1 SU in previous four). In fact, it will be the first time Wisconsin has been favored by double digits in five straight games versus Illinois since the FBS/FCS split in 1978.
Syracuse Orange at No. 1 Clemson Tigers (-45.5, 61.5) noon ET (on ACCN)
• This will be the 82nd career game for Dino Babers as a head coach (27 at Bowling Green, 55 at Syracuse). In the previous 81, Babers has never been more than a 28-point underdog. He has been a 28-point underdog twice, both times against Clemson (with the Orange 0-2 ATS in those games).
• This would be the fifth instance in the FBS era (since 1978) of an ACC team laying at least 45 points against a conference opponent. The previous four involved Florida State (1-3 ATS, 4-0 SU) — twice against Duke (2000, 2002) and twice against Wake Forest (1993, 1995).
• Clemson is 6-2 ATS under Dabo Swinney when laying at least 35 points to an ACC opponent.
• Clemson is favored by at least 24 points against an unranked opponent for the 19th straight time (12-7 ATS, 19-0 SU), the longest such streak in the FBS era.
• Clemson is 17-5 ATS versus ACC opponents since 2018.
• Clemson is 19-7 ATS in its past 26 games as a double-digit favorite.
Nebraska Cornhuskers at No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes (-26, 67.5) noon ET
• If the line stays above 24 points, Nebraska will have been a larger underdog only two other times (2-0 ATS, 0-2 SU) in the FBS era — 27.5 points at Penn State in 2017 (lost 56-44) and 30 points at Oklahoma in 2004 (lost 30-3).
• This will be the 16th straight regular-season game in which Ryan Day has been a favorite to begin his head-coaching career (11-4 ATS, 15-0 SU).
• Ohio State is 23-8 ATS in its past 31 season openers against FBS opponents dating back to 1987, which is the best such cover percentage in season openers during that span (minimum 10 games).
No. 23 NC State Wolfpack at No. 14 North Carolina Tar Heels (-17, 61) noon ET (on ESPN)
• The last time NC State was at least a 14-point underdog to North Carolina was a 52-20 loss in 1996 (+26). Prior to that, there were only two other instances (+17.5 in 1982, +17 in 1983). The Wolfpack failed to cover in all three games.
• Favorites of at least 17 points in ranked-versus-ranked matchups are 63-37-2 ATS since the AP poll expanded to 25 teams in 1989, including 13-3-1 since 2016.
• This would be the largest point spread North Carolina has been favored by against a ranked opponent in the FBS era. In fact, the only other instance when the Tar Heels were double-digit favorites against a ranked team was on Sept. 13, 1997, against No. 17 Stanford. UNC won 28-17 but failed to cover the 13-point spread.
Kansas Jayhawks at No. 20 Kansas State Wildcats (-19.5, 48.5), noon ET
• Kansas has lost eight straight games by double digits dating back to last season (1-6-1 ATS), currently tied with New Mexico and UMass for the longest active such streak in FBS…….
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