Nate Stanley and 17th-ranked Iowa will look to build on their statement-making win over currently 10th-ranked Minnesota when they host Big Ten rival Illinois on Saturday. While the Hawkeyes are playing at home and are double-digit favorites, Illinois has been surprisingly competitive this season and comes into this contest riding the wave of an impressive winning streak. With both teams going all-out for the win, let’s find out which team is offering the best value against their Week 13 college football odds.
Illinois vs Iowa 2019 College Football Week 13 Spread & Game Info
- When: Saturday, November 23, 2019 at 12:00 PM ET
- Where: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa
- TV: BTN
- Radio: Illinois / Iowa
- Live Stream: BTN2GO
- College Football Week 13 Odds: Iowa -15.5 / Total: 46.5
Weather Forecast
- Partly Cloudy: 3°C/38°F
- Humidity: 63%
- Precipitation: 1%
- Wind: 9 mph WSW
- Cloud Cover: 54%
- Type of Stadium: Open
Why Bet On Illinois?
Illinois might be a double-digit road dog in this contest, but there are a bunch of great reasons to back the Fighting Illini’ in this Week 13 pairing. First and foremost, Illinois has won four straight including a hard-fought 34-31 win over Michigan State on Saturday. There’s also the fact that Illinois has won two straight and three of four on the road.
The Fighting Illini’ aren’t what you’d necessarily call explosive offensively, but they do average a solid 30.7 points per game (59th) while limiting the opposition to 25.7 points per contest defensively (54th). Last but not least, Illinois will be motivated to snap a five-game skid in this Big Ten rivalry, including their utterly embarrassing 63-0 shutout loss at home last season.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 30..70
- Total Yards: 333.50
- Pass Yards: 183.20
- Rush Yards: 150.30
- Average Score Against: 25.70
- Total Yards: 411.10
- Pass Yards: 213.20
- Rush Yards: 197.90
Why Bet On Iowa?
While the Hawkeyes are facing a big spread in this matchup, there are some good reasons to believe the Hawkeyes will cover the chalk. First, Iowa is playing well at just the right time, having won three of their last four games. More importantly, the Hawkeyes are coming off their best performance of the season in taking down previously ninth-ranked and unbeaten Minnesota 23-19 on Saturday.
Iowa has also gone 5-1 at home this season, with their only defeat coming against an elite Penn State squad. Last but not least, while the Hawkeyes average a pedestrian 24.0 points per game (100th), they also feature one of the nation’s best defensive units in ranking fifth nationally in points allowed (12.4 ppg).
Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 24
- Total Yards: 372.60
- Pass Yards: 235.60
- Rush Yards: 137.00
- Average Score Against: 12.40
- Total Yards: 303.10
- Pass Yards: 196.00
- Rush Yards: 107.10
College Football Week 13 Betting Trends for Illinois vs Iowa
- Illinois is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 games
- Illinois is 4-1 SU in the last 5 games
- The total went UNDER in 4 of Illinois’ last 6 games
- Iowa is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games played in week 13
- Iowa is 10-3 SU in their last 13 games
- The total went UNDER in 5 of Iowa’s last 6 games
Illinois vs Iowa Expert Analysis and Prediction
I know Iowa is coming off a statement-making win over Minnesota last weekend and that the Gophers are playing at home in this matchup, but I’m genuinely expecting Illinois to show up with a great effort to easily cover the spread in this Week 13 Big Ten battle. While he’s not on anyone’s national radar, Illinois quarterback Brandon Peters is quietly having a solid season with 16 TD passes and just five interceptions as compared to Iowa’s Nate Stanley who has thrown 14 TD passes and an identical five interceptions.
While Iowa has gone 5-2 ATS in their last seven games following a straight up win, Illinois has gone an unblemished 5-0 ATS in their last five conference games and 4-0 ATS in their last four games following an ATS win. While Illinois has gone a disappointing 1-4 ATS in the last five meetings, the road team in this Big Ten rivalry is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings. More importantly, Illinois has been quite competitive and Iowa struggles to score. That combination means the Fighting Illini’ will cover the spread with room to spare.
Pick: Iowa 24 Illinois 23
