Last week, needing only one more win to achieve bowl eligibility, the Illinois Fighting Illini had a win in hand at Iowa, only to suffer a heartbreaking defeat at the end. This week, Illinois must win the regular season and home finale against the tenacious Northwestern Wildcats. It has been a wild four months for Northwestern. Following the firing of longtime school hero Pat Fitzgerald as head coach, David Braun took over as interim HC. Subsequently, Braun has led Northwestern to NCAA Football Betting bowl eligibility. As a result, he got his interim tag removed.
Northwestern Wildcats vs. Illinois Fighting Illini Betting Information
| Date and Time: | Saturday, November 25, 2023, 3:30 p.m. ET. |
|---|---|
| Location: | Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL. |
| TV Coverage: | BTN |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern | +5½ -110 | 47 -110 | +180 |  |
| Illinois | -5½ -110 | 47 -110 | -220 | |
| ||||
Northwestern Wildcats Team Overview
Last game, the Northwestern Wildcats won 23-15 against the Purdue Boilermakers as 2.5-point home favorites. The game went under the total of 48. Northwestern has a record of 6-5 straight up, 7-4 against the spread and 5-6 over/under the sports betting total. Northwestern ranks 128th for total offense, 98th for passing, 120th for rushing, and 111th for scoring. Defensively, they rank 39th overall, 13th against the pass, 94th against the rush, and 45th for points allowed. Also, Northwestern ranks 1st for fewest turnovers lost and 61st for takeaways.
Cam Porter rushed for two touchdowns as Northwestern never trailed. Hence, the Cats became bowl-eligible with a 23-15 victory over Purdue on Saturday at Evanston, Ill. The Wildcat won consecutive games for the first time this season and clinched their bowl appearance two days after removing the interim tag from coach David Braun. Porter rushed for two TDs for the second time in his career and the first instance since Dec. 12, 2020, against Illinois. He easily scored a 7-yard TD a little less than three minutes in. And then he had a 34-yard TD run early in the fourth that helped Northwestern clinch the win.
Porter finished with a season-best 95 yards on 17 carries as Northwestern won. Despite being outgained 443-329 and holding possession from 25:17 to 34:43 for Purdue. Northwestern’s Ben Bryant completed 13 of 24 passes for 230 yards in his second game back from an upper-body injury. Correlate, he threw his only TD to Cam Johnson, whose 52-yard reception helped the Wildcats start to pull away at 16-7 in the third quarter.
Illinois Fighting Illini Team Overview
Last game, the Illinois Fighting Illini lost 15-13 against the Iowa Hawkeyes as 3-point road dogs. The game went under the total of 33.5. Illinois has a record of 5-6 straight up, 3-8 against the spread, and 5-5-1 over/under the total. Illinois ranks 65th for total offense, 45th for passing, 100th for rushing, and 97th for scoring. Defensively, they rank 67th overall, 71st against the pass, 68th against the rush, and 89th for points allowed. Also, Illinois ranks 108th for fewest turnovers lost and 124th for takeaways.
Kaleb Johnson’s 30-yard touchdown run with 4:43 to play gave Iowa a 15-13 win over Illinois on Saturday. In turn, the Iowa clinched the Big Ten West Division title. The Illini needed a win to become bowl-eligible for the second consecutive season.
Northwestern at Illinois SBG Free Picks
As mentioned earlier, Northwestern has outperformed all NCAA Football Betting expectations this season. The Wildcats offer more value in this spot.
Northwestern at Illinois SBG Best Bet: Northwestern Wildcats.