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The Wisconsin Badgers are 5-1 against the Illinois Fighting Illini since October of 2015, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Saturday. Wisconsin and Illinois will face off in a Big Ten battle at 3:30 p.m. ET at Memorial Stadium. The Badgers won't have the home-field advantage, but they do enjoy a 10-point advantage in the spread.
Wisconsin's and the Michigan Wolverines' contest last week was up for grabs at halftime, but Wisconsin was thoroughly outmatched 25-7 in the second half. Wisconsin found themselves the reluctant recipients of an unpleasant 38-17 punch to the gut against the Wolverines. It was supposed to be a close game, and Wisconsin was supposed to come out on top, but neither of those things ended up happening. No one had a standout game offensively for Wisconsin, but they got scores from WR Chimere Dike, QB Graham Mertz, and TE Clay Cundiff.
Meanwhile, Illinois was able to grind out a solid win over the Charlotte 49ers last week, winning 24-14. RB Chase Brown had a dynamite game for Illinois; he rushed for two TDs and 257 yards on 26 carries. Brown put himself on the highlight reel with an 80-yard TD scramble in the third quarter. Brown's sharp performance set his single-game rushing touchdown high for the season.
This next matchup looks promising for Wisconsin, who are favored by a full 10 points. They may be expected to win, but bettors beware: they are 0-3 against the spread when favored.
The Badgers are now 1-3 while the Fighting Illini sit at 2-4. A pair of stats to keep an eye on: Wisconsin is 157th worst in the nation in passing touchdowns, with only three on the season. Illinois has experienced some struggles of their own as they are stumbling into the game with the 228th most passing touchdowns allowed in the nation, having given up 11 on the season. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
