The Michigan Wolverines (4-2) face off against the Illinois Fighting Illini (5-1) on Saturday, October 19th. This game will be played at Memorial Stadium (Champaign, IL) in Champaign and televised on CBS. Illinois is coming off a win in their previous game, while Michigan is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Washington. Kickoff is set for 3:30 ET.

Michigan Wolverines vs Illinois Fighting Illini

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Michigan Offense Breakdown

Michigan’s offense has struggled this season, ranking 85th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 8. They are 70th in points per game, averaging 23.5, and their passing game has been a major issue, ranking 125th with 115 yards per game. Davis Warren, their quarterback, has thrown six interceptions with just two touchdowns, and his passer rating is 57.

Warren has 444 passing yards, and Michigan is 83rd in passing attempts per game. On the ground, they are 30th in rushing attempts, averaging 192.3 yards per game. Kalel Mullings leads the rushing attack with 589 yards, six touchdowns, and an average of 6 yards per carry.

Illinois Offense Breakdown

Illinois’ offense has been driven by their passing game, ranking 12th in passer rating heading into week 8. Luke Altmyer has thrown for 1,426 yards with a passer rating of 120, completing 67.7% of his passes. He has 14 touchdowns and just one interception. Illinois is 37th in scoring, averaging 31 points per game, and they are 43rd in our offensive power rankings.

Altmyer’s top target is Pat Bryant, who has 446 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 26 catches. Illinois ranks 34th in third-down conversions, converting 44.6% of their attempts. They are 86th in rushing, averaging 140.2 yards per game. Kaden Feagin leads the team with 306 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Michigan Team Defense

Michigan’s defense is ranked 38th nationally, allowing 22.3 points per game. In their recent 27-17 loss to Washington, they gave up 27 points, including 266 passing yards and two touchdowns, but held the Huskies to 127 rushing yards.

Opponents have averaged 259.8 passing yards per game against Michigan, ranking them 132nd in the nation. However, Michigan’s defense is 5th in the country against the run, allowing just 76.3 rushing yards per game on 26.7 attempts, the 6th fewest in college football.

Michigan Team Defense

Illinois’ defense, ranked 28th nationally, has allowed 20 points per game this season. In their recent game against Purdue, they gave up 49 points, including 536 total yards, with 297 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air.

Opponents have averaged 151.2 rushing yards per game against Illinois, with 239 rushing yards in the Purdue game. Illinois’ pass defense has allowed 197.3 yards per game and a 61.2% completion rate this season.

Michigan vs Illinois Trends

• When looking at their past three road matchups, Michigan has an ATS record of 1-2 while averaging 24 per game. The team went 2-1 overall in these games.
• The Illinois Fighting Illini are 5-0 ATS in their last home games and 3-2 straight-up.
• Through their last five games as the underdog, the Illinois Fighting Illini have an ATS record of 5-0 and a straight up mark of 3-2.
• Although the Michigan Wolverines have a strong straight up record in their last five games as the betting favorite, they have not done as well vs the spread going 2-3.

Wolverines vs Fighting Illini Prediction

Our projections have Illinois winning this matchup 26-17 as they face off against the Michigan Wolverines in week eight of the college football season. Illinois comes into this game as +3.5 point underdogs, and we like their chances to not only cover the spread but to win straight-up.

With the over/under line set at 43.5 points, we see this game finishing right at that number, making the under our best bet for the over/under.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.