We are now just a matter of days away from seeing the first official rankings from the College Football Playoff Committee, which makes Week 9 of the season a little more important and the NCAAF betting lines a little more hard to read. Of all the teams in the playoff hunt will be looking to put in a big performance this week, as they will be hoping for a treat rather than a trick when the official rankings are released on Halloween.
A couple of teams in the top 4 have tricky games this weekend, with TCU and Georgia both playing in what could potentially be trip-up games. A slip up by either of those two would almost certainly open the door for the unbeaten Wisconsin Badgers, but they still need to go out and do the business on the road versus the Illinois Fighting Illini. While this is a game that you would expect the huge favorite Wisconsin to win quite handily, things are not always as easy as they appear at this stage of the season.
The pressure in on the teams with the playoffs in their sight, which makes you wonder if the Badgers can live up to their role as a 26-point favorite for this one. The point total for this game has been set at 48.
You have to wonder where the points are going to come from when going against one of the stingiest defenses in all college football. Playing at home has not helped this team, as they are just 4-10 SU in their last 14 and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games at home.
NCAAF Betting Lines & Week 9 Game Preview: Wisconsin at Illinois
- When: Saturday, October 28, 12 PM EST
- Where: Memorial Stadium, Champaign
- TV: ESPN
- Radio: 99.7 (Wisconsin) / 93.5 FM (Illinois)
- Live Stream: Watch ESPN
- NCAAF Betting Lines: Wisconsin -26 (Over/Under at 48 points)
Weather Forecast
- Overcast: 7°C/44°F
- Humidity: 63%
- Precipitation: 15%
- Cloud Cover: 96%
- Wind: 15 mph WSW
- Stadium Type: Open
How to Bet Oklahoma St. at West Virginia Week 9 College Football Odds
Recent Head to Head (Last 10 Games)
- Record: Wisconsin leads 9-1
- Score: Wisconsin 34.90 / Illinois 20.30
- Rush Yards: Wisconsin 218.70 / Illinois 139.30
- Pass Attempts: Wisconsin 25.10 / Illinois 30.70
- Completion Percentage: Wisconsin 60.96 / Illinois 55.70
- Passing Yards: Wisconsin 201.10 / Illinois 195.30
- Total Yards: Wisconsin 419.8 / Illinois 334.6
- Turnovers: Wisconsin 1.00 / Illinois 2.10
Why bet on the Wisconsin Badgers?
The Wisconsin Badgers are nothing if not consistent. Their point total and margin of victory has essentially stayed the same for the majority of the season. They tend to score in the 30’s while giving up about 10 points per game or less. The Badgers may not have the explosive qualities of some of the other teams in the top 10, but they have a defense that is almost impossible to break down on a consistent basis. This is a unit that can stop drives and force turnovers at a rather alarming rate, which makes them a very dangerous team coming down the stretch. The problem that Wisconsin is going to have when it comes to impressing the playoff committee is their schedule. They have yet to face a ranked opponent, and unless Michigan can get their act together, they may not face one the rest of the way. The Badgers are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 road games and are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 meetings with Illinois.Team Statistics
Offense- Average Score For: 36.57
- Total Yards: 462.72
- Rush Yards: 256.86
- Passing Yards: 205.86
- Average Score Against: 13.29
- Total Yards: 265.43
- Rush Yards: 88.00
- Passing Yards: 177.43
Why bet on the Illinois Fighting Illini?
This has been a disastrous season for Illinois. Things started out well enough with back to back wins to open the season, but once the tougher opponents arrived on the scene, things fell apart. The Fighting Illini have not been putting up too much of a fight of late, and are coming into this game on a 5-game losing skid. Falling too defeat that often is bad enough, but it becomes all the more alarming when you see how tough it has been for this team to put points on the board.
You have to wonder where the points are going to come from when going against one of the stingiest defenses in all college football. Playing at home has not helped this team, as they are just 4-10 SU in their last 14 and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games at home.
Team Statistics
Offense- Average Score For: 18.57
- Total Yards: 313.00
- Rush Yards: 118.71
- Passing Yards: 194.29
- Average Score Against: 29.57
- Total Yards: 409.42
- Rush Yards: 210.71
- Passing Yards: 198.71
Latest NCAAF Betting Lines Trends
- Wisconsin is 15-6-2 ATS in its last 23 games
- Wisconsin is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Wisconsin’s last 5 games
- Illinois is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
- Illinois is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games at home
- The total has gone OVER in 5 of Illinois’s last 7 games when playing at home against Wisconsin
