Wisconsin at Illinois: 10/9/21 College Football Picks and Prediction
Photo by Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Illinois Fighting Illini (2-4) vs Wisconsin Badgers (1-3)
Game Info: Saturday, October 9, 2021 at 3:30 pm (Memorial Stadium)
Betting Odds: Illinois Fighting Illini +11 -- Over/Under: 42 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The Wisconsin Badgers will travel to Memorial Stadium (Champaign, IL) to take on the Illinois Fighting Illini this Saturday afternoon in College Football action.
The Wisconsin Badgers lost their 2nd straight game and dropped to 1-3 on the season after being defeated by the 14th ranked Michigan Wolverines, 38-17, this past Saturday. Wisconsin once again struggled on the offensive end and could not fight back after entering the 4th quarter, trailing by a 20-10 margin. Wisconsin was outgained by Michigan by a 365-210 margin and lost the turnover battle by a 3-1 margin. Leading the way for the Badgers was WR Chimere Dike who had 2 receptions for 54 yards & 2 TD’s.
On the season, Wisconsin is averaging 18.5 ppg on 352.8 total yards per game (189.5 passing yds/g; 163.3 rushing yds/g). Offensively, Wisconsin has been led by RB Chez Mellusi who had 332 rushing yards & 2 TD’s on 75 carries. QB Graham Mertz has completed 56.4% of his passes for 681 yards, 2 TD, & 6 INT. Mertz was injured against Michigan, however, early reports are that he will be available against Illinois. The top receiving threats for the Badgers have been Danny Davis III (16 rec, 193 yards), Kendrick Pryor (14 rec, 159 yards, 1 TD), & Jake Ferguson (15 rec, 108 yards).
Defensively, Wisconsin is allowing their opponents to average 25.5 ppg on 250.0 total yards per game (203.8 passing yds/g; 46.8 rushing yds/g).
The Illinois Fighting Illini snapped their 4-game losing streak and improved to 2-4 on the season after defeating the Charlotte 49ers, 24-14, this past Saturday. Illinois trailed by a 14-10 margin going into halftime, however, the Fighting Illini was outstanding defensively in the 2nd half and was able to pull away in the 3rd quarter after a 80yard TD run by Charles Brown gave Illinois a double-digit led. Illinois outgained Charlotte by a 414-272 margin and won the turnover battle by a 2-1 margin in the victory. Leading the way for the Fighting Illini was Chase Brown who had 257 rushing yards & 2 TD’s on 26 carries.
On the season, Illinois is averaging 20.7 ppg on 355.3 total yards per game (168.2 passing yds/g; 187.2 rushing yds/g). Offensively, Illinois has been led by the RB trio of Chase Brown (52 att, 379 yards, 3 TD), Josh McCray (60 att, 333 yards, TD), & Reggie Love III (42 att, 150 yards). QB Brandon Peters has completed 56.9% of his passes for 611 yards, 6 TD, & 1 INT. The top receiving threats for the Fighting Illini have been Isaiah Williams (28 rec, 275 yards, TD), Deuce Spann (4 rec, 117 yards, 2 TD), Casey Washington (12 rec, 103 yards), & Daniel Barker (9 rec, 100 yards, 3 TD).
Defensively, Illinois is allowing their opponents to average 24.7 ppg on 418.8 total yards per game (292.2 passing yds/g; 126.7 rushing yds/g).
The Badgers are 2-6 ATS vs. a team with a losing record and 0-6 ATS in their last 6 conference games. The Fighting Illini are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games in October and 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up win.
Wisconsin’s season has gone from bad to worse after last weeks embarrassing loss at home against Michigan, and despite having a solid defense, the offense has been plagued by inefficient play from QB Graham Mertz and a turnover margin of -9. Illinois has played better recently than their record might indicate, however, this is also a team that can struggled putting points on the board as they rank just 109th in scoring offense & 97th in total offense. Wisconsin has some talent, but I can’t trust the Badgers offense on the road giving double digits and my play here is to take Illinois and the Under! Good Luck!
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Brett’s Pick Illinois Fighting Illini +11 / Under 42
AUTHOR: Brett Nault

Follow Brett Nault on Twitter @BrettCU05