Illinois at Michigan College Football Expert Picks

Posted by Henry Watkins on Wednesday,October 19, 2016 4:06, EDT in

NCAA College Football News

Every team heads into the season with an eye on certain games that appear on their schedule. It’s natural to look ahead to big games that are on the horizon, but in doing so, you run the risk of slipping on a banana peel along the way. That is likely where the Michigan Wolverines are right now, as they have what looks to be a pretty straightforward schedule for the next couple of weeks, which should see them remain unbeaten until they face Ohio State. It is that game that every Big 10 fan, and perhaps even every college football fan, is waiting for, but there is work to be done by both teams before that big showdown comes calling. The Wolverines are coming off a bye week, but should really have no problem shaking off the rust against an Illinois Fighting Illini team that got a win last weekend to bring a 4-game losing skid to a halt. Michigan are not a team that has shown much mercy to lesser opponents this season, which makes the 38.5-point spread in this one seem like something the Wolverines could easily blow past. Find the updated college football betting lines here.

A Closer Look At The Illinois Fighting Illini at Michigan Wolverines College Football Expert Picks

When: Saturday, October 22 at 3:30 PM EST
Where: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor
TV: BTN
Live Stream: NCAA Live
NCAAF Odds: TBA

Why bet on the Illinois Fighting Illini

The Fighting Illini have a big question waiting to be answered ahead of this game, and that is whether or not starting QB Wes Lunt will be ready to go. He was forced to sit out the win against Rutgers last weekend, and his status for this one is still very much up in the air. To say that he was missed last week is an understatement, as Illinois only managed 92 yards through the air versus Rutgers. Sure, they were able to get the win by pounding the ball on the ground, but they are not likely to have much joy doing that against the Wolverines. If Illinois are to stay close in this one, they really need Lunt in the fold.

Why bet on the Michigan Wolverines

There have been three games this year where the Wolverines have been asked to cover particularly large spreads of between 29.5 and 38 points. Those games came against Hawaii, UCF, and Rutgers, and Michigan were able to cover quite handily in all three. That does not bode very well for Illinois, especially if they are starting the game with their backup QB under center once again. Michigan are coming off a 78-0 destruction of Rutgers, which proved that they are in this thing to win, and to put up some serious style points in the process. If Michigan scores early, this thing could get ugly in a hurry.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

It’s not really in doubt as to whether or not Michigan will win this game, as it really is all about the point spread here. The Wolverines have been covering big spreads all season long, and there is no reason to believe they can’t do it again on Saturday.