Youngstown State vs. Southern Illinois prediction favors Youngstown State to win in college football Week 5 [2026]

Southern Illinois and Youngstown State will meet in Week 5 college football action at Saluki Stadium on Saturday, starting at 5:00 PM ET.

Dimers' proven college football model projects Youngstown State as the most likely winner in this Youngstown State vs. Southern Illinois prediction.

This article offers further insights into Saturday's matchup, including an expanded look at the predicted score, best bets and picks.

Youngstown State vs. Southern Illinois prediction and odds

Using innovative machine learning and data analysis, we have re-simulated the outcome of Youngstown State vs. Southern Illinois, forming part of our college football predictions coverage.

Our independent predictive model gives Youngstown State a 61.7% chance of beating Southern Illinois. Our predicted final score has Youngstown State winning 33-29. According to our model, Southern Illinois (+4.5) has a 51.8% chance of covering the spread, while the over/under total of 64.5 points has a 54.1% chance of staying under.

Latest betting odds

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

• Spread: Youngstown State -4.5 (-115) / Southern Illinois +4.5 (-107)
• Moneyline: Youngstown State -179, Southern Illinois +148
• Total: Over/Under 64.5 (-109/-113)

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: Southern Illinois +4.5 @ -107 via Caesars
• Moneyline: Southern Illinois @ +148 via DraftKings
• Total: Under 64.5 @ -113 via Caesars

According to our college football best bets, the top play to make on this game is Under 64.5 total points.

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 matchup between Southern Illinois and Youngstown State at Saluki Stadium is scheduled to commence at 5:00 PM ET.

• Who: Youngstown State vs. Southern Illinois
• Date: Saturday, October 3, 2026
• Time: 5:00 PM ET/2:00PM PT
• Venue: Saluki Stadium

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Conclusion

We predict Youngstown State, with a 61.7% win probability, will likely beat Southern Illinois 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.