Illinois vs Purdue Expert College Football Picks Against the Spread 10/26/2019

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Ross-Ade Stadium

Jack Plummer and the Purdue Boilermakers play the Illinois Fighting Illini at Ross-Ade Stadium on Saturday, October 26, 2019. Illinois opens this game as 8-point underdogs. The Fighting Illini are 4-3-0 ATS and 3-4-0 when betting on the total. The Boilermakers are 4-3-0 when wagering on the over/under and 4-3-0 against the spread.

In their last game, the Illinois Fighting Illini took on the Wisconsin Badgers and earned the victory by a score of 24-23. Leading the way at QB for the Fighting Illini was Brandon Peters who went 9/21 with 174 yards passing and added 2 touchdowns. He ended the game with no interceptions. Reggie Corbin paced the team on the ground for the game. He had a long run of 43 yards and he notched 1 TD for the game. He scurried for 83 yards via 17 carries which gave him an average of 4.9 yards per tote. Donny Navarro led the team in receiving yardage by racking up 48 yards on 2 catches. He averaged 24.0 yards per catch for the game. The Fighting Illini ran the ball a total of 35 times and racked up a total of 141 yards which had them averaging 4.0 yards per attempt. On the day, the Fighting Illini had a total of 17 1st downs and they had a total of 4 penalties for 15 yards which is telling of how their week of practice went. Overall, they ran 56 plays for 315 yards. When it comes to their defensive performance, Illinois gave up 24 catches on 32 attempts totaling 264 yards, and a completion percentage of 75.0%. On the ground, the Fighting Illini gave up 158 yards on 42 carries which means they had an average of 3.8 yards per attempt allowed. On the day, they gave up 422 yards and earned 3 turnovers.

The Fighting Illini head into this matchup 3-4 for this season. For total yardage, they are currently ranked 12th in the Big Ten Conference and 107th in college football with 2,343 yards. They are in the middle of the pack in regard to scoring in the nation averaging 29.7 points per contest, ranking them 64th in college football. As a team, they have an average of 146.3 yards on the ground per contest which is 10th in the Big Ten. The Fighting Illini have one of the middle tier defenses in Division 1, giving up 29.6 points per contest ranking them 13th in the Big Ten. When it comes to yards on the ground, Illinois is allowing 198 yards per game which has them at 13th in the Big Ten Conference and 106th in college football. Opposing teams are running for an average of 4.4 yards per rush which has them at 10th in the Big Ten Conference and 74th in the country overall. Overall, they have conceded 1,386 yards rushing through 7 games. When it comes to yards through the air, the Fighting Illini have allowed 1,319 yards. Teams are completing 61% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 8.3 yards per attempt.

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In their last game, the Purdue Boilermakers went up against the Iowa Hawkeyes and were beaten 26-20. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Boilermakers was Jack Plummer who went 30/50 with 327 yards through the air and added 2 touchdowns. He walked away with 1 interception in the game. King Doerue led the team on the ground for that contest. His longest run of the day went for 9 yards but he never crossed the endzone by way of the rush. He ran for 26 yards via 10 carries which meant he averaged 2.6 yards per run. David Bell was the leader in receiving yardage with a tally of 197 yards on 13 catches. He averaged 15.2 yards per catch for that contest. The Boilermakers ran the football 18 times and earned a total of 33 yards giving them an average of 1.8 yards per carry. On the day, they finished with a total of 68 plays which added up to 360 yards. In the game, the Boilermakers racked up a total of 17 1st downs and they totaled 5 infractions for 40 yards which is telling of how their week of practice went. When it comes to their defensive performance, Purdue allowed 23 completions on 33 tries for a total of 260 yards, and a completion percentage of 69.7%. Overall, they gave up 362 yards and forced 1 turnover. In the running game, the Boilermakers allowed 102 yards on 33 tries which gave them an average of 3.1 yards per run allowed.

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The Boilermakers come into this matchup with a record of 2-5. Purdue hasn't done much to make teams fear their rushing game by averaging 59.6 rushing yards per contest, ranking them 130th in the country. As a unit, they have a total of 417 yards rushing through 7 contests, so they are going to want to make some changes to the ground game if they want to make teams respect them. The Boilermakers average 384.4 yards per game overall ranking them 84th in college football and 10th in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers are giving up 29.3 points per contest which puts them at 12th in the Big Ten and 81st in the country. In discussing points given up, they have allowed 205 points in total. In terms of yards rushing, they are giving up 157.3 yards per game ranking them 68th in the nation and 10th in the Big Ten Conference. This season, they have given up 1,101 rushing yards and 11.9 rushing TDs. Their passing defense is one of the middling groups in the country. They are conceding 275.4 passing yards per contest. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Boilermakers sit in 13th in the Big Ten Conference.

Who will win tonight's Fighting Illini/Boilermakers college football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Fighting Illini +8

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