11/17 NCAAf Northwestern @ Illinois

[Spartacus]

The Northwestern Wildcats and the Illinois Fighting Illini will both be gunning for a victory on Saturday when they meet at Memorial Stadium.

Oddsmakers currently have the Fighting Illini listed as 13½-point favorites versus the Wildcats, while the game's total is sitting at 57.

Tyrell Sutton ran for 138 yards with a touchdown in Week 11, leading the Wildcats to a 31-28 victory over the Indiana Hoosiers. The Wildcats won the game as a 2.5-point underdog, while the combined 59 points were just UNDER the posted total of 61.5.

C.J. Bacher completed 26-of-33 for 280 yards with a TD, but was picked off three times in the win.

The Fighting Illini handed the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes their first loss of the season a 28-21 upset in Week 11, as 16-point underdogs. The combined score made it OVER the posted total of 46.

Juice Williams completed 12-of-22 passes for 141 yards with four touchdowns to lead the Fighting Illini.

 

[Spartacus]

Illinois, living up to at least some of Fitzgerald's build up, will ride a three-game winning streak into Memorial Stadium, and its most recent win was the kind that up-and-coming teams like the Illini (8-3, 5-2) dream about. They stunned top-ranked Ohio State 28-21, and did it in Columbus.

Now Illinois has a chance, with a win Saturday, to at least share second place in the Big Ten. The Illini's bowl destination could improve with a win, too.

Northwestern might have even more to play for. The Wildcats, who are 6-5 and 3-4 in conference, are bowl eligible. But so are nine other Big Ten teams, meaning six wins doesn't guarantee the Wildcats anything.

Fitzgerald expects to see the Illini run the ball Saturday behind an offensive line he said dominated Ohio State. And he expects to see lots of quarterback Juice Williams and tailback Rashard Mendenhall, who Fitzgerald calls the best back in the country, running right at the Wildcats.

 

[Spartacus]

where's whiskey?

 

[motodawg]

I'm too late to bet but Illinois will have a big win hangover and can't cover the spread........I'm known for being wrong