Wisconsin vs. Illinois Pick
Is No. 5 Wisconsin giving up too many points on the road when the Badgers take on Illinois today at Noon ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Wisconsin is the clear favorite on the road, as the Badgers are getting odds of -26.5 points against the Illini. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 50 points. Wisconsin has won seven straight meetings in this series and the Badgers are 4-1 against the spread in those five games. The public is currently putting 75 percent of the wagers on Wisconsin on the road. Today’s game takes place from Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois and will air live on ESPN.
Wisconsin is coming off a 38-13 win at home over Maryland to improve to 7-0 on the season, 4-0 in the Big Ten and 4-3 against the spread. The Badgers have covered the spread in both road games this season. Wisconsin has been great on both sides of the ball, as the offense is averaging 36.6 points and 462.7 yards per game while the defense is allowing just 13.3 points and 265.4 yards per contest. Jonathan Taylor is leading the way with 1,112 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns while Alex Hornibrook is adding 1,435 passing yards with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Quintez Cephus is the leading receiver with 25 catches for 446 yards and five touchdowns.
Illinois is riding a five-game losing streak following a 24-17 loss at Illinois this past weekend. The Illini are now 2-5 overall, 0-4 in the Big Ten and 2-5 against the spread this year. Illinois is 1-3 ATS at home. The Illini have been a mess on offense, averaging just 18.6 points and 313 yards per game. Jeff George Jr. has thrown for 893 yards with four touchdowns and seven interceptions while Mike Epstein is the leading rusher with just 346 yards and three scores. However, Epstein has a foot injury that is likely to keep him out the rest of the season. Defensively, Illinois is giving up 29.6 points and 409.4 yards per game, including 210.7 rushing yards per contest.
There have been some big spreads that I haven’t liked for Wisconsin this year, yet they have managed to cover them. The Badgers have been great on the road, covering in eight straight dating back to last season. Their defense should be able to swallow up anything Illinois is going to do, which means the offense just need to score a handful of times to cover. Illinois is just 1-6 ATS in their last 7 Big Ten games and 2-8 ATS in their last 10 home games.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREDICTION: WISCONSIN -26.5