Tennessee State vs. Western Illinois prediction: Why Western Illinois is favored to win in college football Week 5 [2026]

Using innovative machine learning and data, we have re-simulated the result of Tennessee State vs. Western Illinois, forming part of our college football predictions coverage.

Our famous predictive model currently gives Western Illinois an 81.9% chance of beating Tennessee State. Our predicted final score has Western Illinois winning 31-20. According to our model, Tennessee State (+12.5) has a 52.2% chance of covering the spread, while the 51.5-point over/under has a 51.4% chance of going over.

Latest betting odds

We have researched the best college football odds in America for this game, which are listed here:

• Spread: Tennessee State +12.5 (-110) / Western Illinois -12.5 (-112)
• Moneyline: Tennessee State +400, Western Illinois -489
• Total: Over/Under 51.5 (-112/-110)

All odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Model picks and best bet

After matching our predictions against the best available odds, we can reveal our picks for each of the major markets in this matchup. Plus, find our best bet for the game below:

• Spread: Tennessee State +12.5 @ -110 via DraftKings
• Moneyline: Western Illinois @ -489 via DraftKings
• Total: Over 51.5 @ -112 via DraftKings

According to our best college football bets, the top play to make on this game is Tennessee State +12.5 at the spread.

These picks are based on our probabilities matched against the implied probabilities from the current available odds.

Game info & kickoff details

Saturday's college football game between Western Illinois and Tennessee State at Hanson Field is scheduled to begin at 4:00 PM ET.

• Who: Tennessee State vs. Western Illinois
• Date: Saturday, October 3, 2026
• Time: 4:00 PM ET/1:00PM PT
• Venue: Hanson Field

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Conclusion

We predict Western Illinois, with an 81.9% win probability, will likely beat Tennessee State in Saturday's college football matchup.

Additional tools and information for betting safely can be found in our Responsible Gambling hub.

This article's predictions and probabilities are generated by Dimers' proprietary College Football prediction model. Our editorial team reviews the resulting content for accuracy and presentation before publication.