Northwestern (4-7) vs Illinois (8-3)
Game Info: Saturday, November 30, 2024 at 12:00 pm (Wrigley Field)
Betting Odds: Northwestern +7.5 / Illinois -7.5 --- Over/Under: 46.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
Where to Watch: BTN Stream live sports and exclusive originals on ESPN+. Sign up now! 
The Illinois Fighting Illini and the Northwestern Wildcats meet Saturday in college football action from Wrigley Field. Here’s an Illinois vs Northwestern prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Illinois vs Northwestern pick. We will examine:
The Illinois Fighting Illini's recent form and player performance
The Northwestern Wildcats' recent form and player performance
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Illinois Fighting Illini
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the Northwestern Wildcats
Recent betting trends in games played between Illinois and Northwestern
A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the Illinois vs Northwestern game
Illinois Fighting Illini Betting Preview
The Illini came out of the gate this year with four straight wins before falling to Penn State on September 28. Illinois would beat Purdue and Michigan before losses to Oregon and Minnesota, then took out Michigan State on November 16.
In the Rutgers game on Saturday, Illinois went into the fourth quarter down 17-15. The Illini scored 23 points in the final frame for a wild comeback win 38-31, though. Luke Altmyer finished with 249 yards and two touchdowns while also leading the rush on 74 yards and a score.
Northwestern Wildcats Betting Preview
Over on the Northwestern side, they hit a 3-3 run in their first six with wins over Miami-OH, Eastern Illinois, and Maryland. The Wildcats hit a 1-3 stretch in the next four, falling to Wisconsin, Iowa, and Ohio State with a lone victory versus Purdue.
Matched up against Michigan last weekend, the Wildcats gave up double-digit points in three of four quarters along the way to a rough loss of 50-6. Jack Lausch threw for 106 yards and two picks. Both Cam Porter and Caleb Komolafe each had seven carries for a team-high 24 yards.
Why the Northwestern Wildcats will win
- Northwestern has won six of its last eight November games against Illinois.
- Northwestern has covered the spread in each of its last four November games as a home underdog against AP-ranked teams.
- Illinois has failed to cover the spread in eight of its last 10 games as a favorite against non-AP-ranked teams.
Why the Illinois Fighting Illini will win
- Northwestern has lost each of its last 10 games as an underdog against AP-ranked teams.
- Illinois has won five of its last six games against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Illinois has covered the spread in each of its last eight November road games against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Northwestern has failed to cover the spread in three of its last four games against AP-ranked teams.
Total Points Facts
- Seven of Illinois' last eight November games as a favorite have gone OVER the total points line.
- Each of Northwestern's last four November games as a home underdog against AP-ranked teams has gone UNDER the total points line.
Illinois vs Northwestern Prediction
I’ll go with Illinois. The Fighting Illini pulled off a nice comeback road win over Rutgers on Saturday, eventually notching 431 yards (249 passing) and 24 first downs. Illinois did have 11 penalties overall though, and gave up 213 rush yards along the way. Still, it’s been a nice couple of games for the Illini after consecutive losses to Oregon and Minnesota. Illinois has scored 38 points in each of the last two.
As for Northwestern, they couldn’t find any daylight versus Michigan, notching just 127 total yards (117 passing), eight first downs, and two picks. That makes 14 or fewer points in four of the last five games for the Wildcats—a 1-4 stretch. Northwestern probably won’t last long here if Illinois plays reasonably well.
Andrew’s Pick Illinois Fighting Illini -7.5
AUTHOR: Andrew Jett
