- Michigan came up short against Washington on Saturday, losing by a score of 27-17.
- Illinois survived a shockingly close bout with Purdue, winning 50-49, and rising to 5-1.
- These two teams last met on November 19, 2022, in a game that Michigan won 19-17.
The Wolverines and Fighting Illini enter this NCAAF game on the fringe of the top-25 rankings. Our Michigan vs Illinois prediction sees the Wolverines climbing back into the top-20, while the Illini drop out of the rankings.
Michigan Fighting to Stay Alive
Michigan expected some regression this season after losing coach Jim Harbuagh, QB JJ McCarthy, and many others. That being said, a 4-2 start is still a bit of a disappointment. One more defeat will all but eliminate the Wolverines from CFP contention, setting them up for perhaps a Citrus Bowl appearance instead. After a poor offensive result in Washington, Michigan will be most focused on re-establishing the run game against Illinois.
Illinois Starting to Stumble
The Fighting Illini started the season strong but have cooled off since then. An OT win over 5-1 Nebraska was their highlight in Week 4, but they quickly came back down to Earth in a 14-point loss to Penn State. Hoping to right the ship last week, Illinois collapsed in the 2nd-half. They nearly lost to a Purdue team that is likely to finish the year with 2 or 3 wins. Illinois will need to be significantly better on defense to take down Michigan here.
Michigan vs Illinois Prediction: Wolverines Feast on the Road
Despite being on the road, Michigan has the advantage in this game. They may have regressed since last season, but they are still strong enough to topple an inconsistent Illinois team. It shouldn’t be a blowout, but we expect Michigan to win this one without too much trouble. Look for their defense to clamp down on Illinois and keep the score relatively low. We’ll take the Wolverines to win this top-25 B1G matchup by a score of 27-21.
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