Now, this is a big-time bet!

Illinois is getting set to kick off the season this week with a Week 1 showdown against Akron. No team should be taken lightly, but Lovie Smith’s squad will be facing a Zips team that is coming off a 4-8 season and entering 2019 with a new coach.

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It sure looks like a recipe for an easy win for the Illini to get the season rolling, and the betting line for the matchup is Illinois -17. It also turns out that one bettor is placing big money on the Illini to win in a blowout.

According to ESPN’s Doug Kezirian, one bettor has placed a total of $80,000 on the Illini and the -17 number:

This will turn out to either be easy money or an incredibly dumb decision. Hopefully, Illinois makes this bettor look good with a strong win to start the season.