Wisconsin vs. Illinois Total Pick
Is No. 6 Wisconsin going to be able to continue its dominant defensive season this Saturday when the Badgers go on the road to face Illinois at Noon ET?
Game Snapshot & Odds
351 Wisconsin vs. 352 Illinois
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Noon ET – Memorial Stadium
TV: Big Ten Network
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Public Betting Trends
According to the latest oddsmakers, Wisconsin is the clear favorite on the road, as the Badger are getting odds of -31 points against Illinois. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 49.5 points. The public betting currently has 65 percent going on Wisconsin as a road favorite. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our NCAAF Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Badgers get another shutout
Wisconsin is coming off a 38-0 win over Michigan State at home last weekend, as the Badgers improved to 6-0 on the year with their fourth shutout of 2019. Wisconsin is 3-0 in the Big Ten, 5-1 against the spread and 4-2 with the under.
The Badgers are ranked No. 1 nationally in all major defensive categories this year. They lead the nation in scoring (4.8 ppg), total defense (176.5 ypg), passing defense (129 ypg) and rushing defense (47.5 ypg). The unit is led by Zack Baun, who has 26 tackles and five sacks. Offensively, Wisconsin is putting up 42.5 points and 447.8 yards per contest. Jonathan Taylor is leading the offense this year with 825 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns while Jack Coan has thrown or 1,119 yards and eight touchdowns. Quintez Cephus is the leading receiver with 19 catches for 291 yards and three scores.
Illinois drops fourth straight
The Illinois Fighting Illini won their first two games of 2019, but have lost four straight since. That includes a 42-25 win at home to Michigan last weekend. The Illini are now 2-4 overall, 0-3 in the Big Ten, 3-3 against the spread and 3-3 with the over/under total.
Illinois has been struggling on both sides of the ball. The defense is giving up 30.7 points and 437.2 yards per game, while the offense is putting up 30.7 points and 338 yards per outing. Brandon Peters has thrown for 797 yards and 10 touchdowns this year, but he sat out last Saturday due to a concussion and is questionable for this game. Matt Robinson will fill in if Peters can’t play. Robinson has thrown for 348 yards and a score. Reggie Corbin is the team’s leading rusher with 396 yards and three touchdowns, while Josh Imatorhebhe is the leading receiver with 20 catches for 322 yards and five touchdowns.
College Football Betting Trends
Wisconsin
The Badgers are 6-2 with the under in their last eight conference games and 9-3 with the under in their last 12 games overall.
Illinois
The Illini is 5-1 with the over in their last six home games and in eight of their last 10 games on fieldturf.
Prediction:
These two have hit the over in five of their last seven meetings with Illinois. I think the big question here is how many points will Wisconsin score? It wouldn’t surprise me to see Illinois get shutout. The Illini are banged up and facing a dominant defense. While Wisconsin is hitting the road for the first time in over a month, the Badgers rolled at USF to open the year. Wisconsin can easily run through this Illinois defense. The Badgers should be able to dominate the line of scrimmage and control the clock. I just can’t trust them to score 50 points on their own and I am not sure Illinois can score at all.
College Football Week 8 Prediction: Wisconsin/Illinois Under 49.5