Michigan Wolverines vs Illinois Fighting Illini Betting Pick & Prediction 10/19/24

Memorial Stadium in Champaign, IL, will be the site for this week eight matchup between the Michigan Wolverines and Illinois Fighting Illini. Kickoff is set for 3:30 ET, and the game will be broadcast on CBS. The Wolverines are 4-2 on the season, and Illinois comes in with a 5-1 record. Michigan is favored by -3.5 points, with the over/under line currently at 43.5 points.

MICHIGAN WOLVERINES VS ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI BETTING PICK

The Pick: Illinois Fighting Illini +3.5

This game will be played at Memorial Stadium (Champaign, IL) at 3:30 ET on Saturday, October 19th.

WHY BET THE ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI:

• We have the Illinois Fighting Illini winning this one by a score of 26 to 17
• Not only do we have the Illinois Fighting Illini winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at +3.5
• We see this game finishing below the line of 43.5 points

Will The Michigan Wolverines Win As Road Favorites?

Michigan enters Week 8 with a 4-2 record, ranked 33rd in our CFB power rankings. They have an 88.3% chance of becoming bowl-eligible but only a 0.3% shot at winning the Big Ten. On the road, they are 0-1, while they’ve gone 4-1 at home this season.

Against the spread, Michigan is just 1-5, with a +1.2 average scoring margin. They are 1-4 ATS at home and 0-1 on the road. As the favorite, they’ve gone 0-3 ATS.

Their over/under record stands at 4-2, with their games averaging 45.8 points. This week’s line is 43.5 points, slightly above their average line of 42.2 points.

Heading into week 8, Michigan’s offense ranks 85th in our CFB offensive power rankings, averaging 23.5 points per game. Their passing game has struggled, with just 115 yards per game, placing them 125th nationally. Davis Warren has thrown for 444 yards, but has only 2 touchdowns against 6 interceptions, resulting in a passer rating of 57.

Michigan is 30th in rushing attempts, averaging 192.3 yards per game on the ground. Kalel Mullings leads the team with 589 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns, averaging 6 yards per carry. Semaj Morgan is the leading receiver with 78 yards and one touchdown.

Michigan’s defense, ranked 38th nationally, is allowing 22.3 points per game this season. In their recent 27-17 loss to Washington, they gave up 27 points, allowing 393 total yards, including 266 passing yards and two passing touchdowns, while forcing one interception.

Opponents have averaged 259.8 passing yards per game against Michigan, ranking them 132nd in the nation. However, Michigan’s defense has been strong against the run, allowing just 76.3 rushing yards per game, the fifth-lowest in the country, on an average of 26.7 rushing attempts per game, the sixth-fewest nationally.

Are The Illinois Fighting Illini Going Win In At Upset At Memorial Stadium (Champaign, IL)

Illinois enters Week 8 with a 5-1 record, hosting Michigan. They are ranked 57th in our power rankings and have a 97% chance of becoming bowl-eligible. At home, the Fighting Illini are 2-0 this season.

They’ve been favored in just one game, going 1-0 as the favorite. Their average scoring margin is +11, and they are 2-1 against the spread, covering both times as the underdog.

The over/under line for this week is 43.5 points. Illinois games have averaged 51 points, with an average line of 49.4. Their over/under record is 0-3, with games averaging 2.8 points above the line.

Heading into week 8, Illinois’ offense is averaging 31 points per game, placing them 37th in the nation. Our power rankings have them as the 43rd best offense in college football. Quarterback Luke Altmyer has thrown for 1,426 yards, completing 67.7% of his passes, with 14 touchdowns and just one interception. His passer rating is 120.

Illinois ranks 12th in passer rating and 22nd in completion percentage nationally. They are 34th in third-down conversion rate, converting 44.6% of their attempts. On the ground, they average 140.2 rushing yards per game. Kaden Feagin leads the team with 306 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Pat Bryant has 446 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.

Illinois’ defense will look to improve after allowing 49 points in their last game against Purdue. They gave up 536 total yards, including 297 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air, while also allowing 239 rushing yards.

Despite the rough outing, Illinois ranks 28th nationally in points allowed, giving up 20 points per game. They’ve allowed 197.3 passing yards per game and 151.2 rushing yards on 32.5 attempts per game.