The Big Ten is back! Yup, college football betting adds another conference to the fray as the Big Ten kicks off Friday in Madison, as the Wisconsin Badgers host the Illinois Fighting Illini.
Lovie Smith returns for his fourth season at Illinois, looking to take the Illini to consecutive bowl games for the first time since 2010-11, while Paul Chryst will have to deal with a lot of roster turnover if the Badgers hope to win back-to-back Big Ten West titles.
Let’s take a look at our best college football predictions for Illinois at Wisconsin, scheduled for Friday, October 23 at 8:00 ET.
Illinois Fighting Illini vs Wisconsin Badgers betting preview
Weather
It could be a chilly start to Big Ten play. The forecast is calling for rain early in the day, but it should taper off by kickoff, giving way to a cold front that will have temperatures feeling like the mid 30s with a 10-12 mile per hour wind blowing towards the southern endzone. Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our NCAA football weather info.
Key Injuries
Illinois: No injuries to report.
Wisconsin: Jack Coan QB (Out).
Find our latest NCAA football injury reports.
Betting trend to know
Illinois was a great bet in conference play down the stretch, covering the spread in six of its final seven Big Ten games. Find more NCAA football betting trends for Illinois vs. Wisconsin.
Against the spread (ATS) pick
The Wisconsin Badgers have been perennial contenders in the Big Ten West since Paul Chryst took over the program in 2016, winning the division in three of his first four seasons. But if Chryst and the Badgers want to continue that success, they’ll have to do it without a lot of key pieces from a season ago, starting first and foremost in the running game.
Wisconsin is always known for running the football, but now they’ll need to replace one of the greatest running backs in school history in Jonathan Taylor. Not only will the Badgers miss Taylor’s production, but they’ll also have to deal with the loss off center and 2019 Rimington Trophy winner, Tyler Biadasz, and leading receiver Quintez Cephus.
But most importantly, senior-starting quarterback Jack Coan is out indefinitely with a foot injury. Coan was ultra efficient in his 18 starts for the Badgers. In 2019, he completed a team-record 236 passes for 2,727 yards with 18 touchdowns and five interceptions, while completing nearly 70 percent of his passes.
Now, the torch passes to highly-touted recruit Graham Mertz. The pocket passer will go up against a completely reworked Illini defensive line, but Illinois returns a fair amount of talent in its line backing core and secondary.
On top of that, the Illini return a strong group in the passing game led by senior QB Brandon Peter, a multitude of weapons, and four returning starters on the offensive line.
Wisconsin will probably do what it does best and establish the run. But a quiet Camp Randall against a veteran Illinois squad that could take a step in the right direction, and asking to cover 20-points may be too much.
PREDICTION: Illinois +20
Over/Under Pick
The Fighting Illini really took on the traits of a Lovie Smith defense last year, ranking eighth in the country with 2.2 takeaways per game, which includes three in last season’s 24-23 upset of the Badgers, and showed much improvement as the season wore on, allowing just 20.2 points per game over their last six contests.
On the other side, a strong defense is something the Badgers are always known for. Defensive coordinator Jim Leonard’s group allowed just 16.9 points per game last season and while he has to replace some important pieces, this should be another solid unit.
Mix in an offense that ran the ball the second most in the Big Ten last season and this one should sneak Under the number.
PREDICTION: Under 52.5 (Odds)
First Quarter Total
It’s been a tumultuous offseason for the Big Ten. First, they weren’t playing, and a bunch of players opted out and now they’re playing again as COVID runs rampant across many campuses across the country. Some teams were practicing more than others. While others have had to run through a quick fall camp.
Considering the rushed camps and the limited practicing, it’s not outlandish to think these two defensive-minded teams will need the first quarter to shake off the rust when it comes to the offensive side of the ball. Bet on the opening frame to be a low-scoring one.
PREDICTION: First quarter Under 10.5 (-116)
Illinois vs Wisconsin betting card
- Illinois +20 (-110)
- Under 52.5 (-110)
- First quarter Under 10.5 (-116)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s NCAA Illinois vs. Wisconsin picks, you could win $57.87 on a $10 bet?
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