Northwestern vs Illinois NCAA Football Picks and Tips 11/30/2019

Game: Northwestern Wildcats vs Illinois Fighting Illini

Date: Saturday, November 30, 2019

Week 14

Location: Memorial Stadium in Champaign, IL

TV: FS1

Odds/Point Spread: Illinois -10

Total/Over-Under: 45

Brandon Peters and the Illinois Fighting Illini host the Northwestern Wildcats at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, November 30, 2019. Illinois opens this matchup as 10-point favorites. The Wildcats are 2-9-0 ATS and 4-7-0 when betting on the total. The Fighting Illini are 4-7-0 when wagering on the over/under and 8-3-0 against the spread.

The last time they took the field, the Northwestern Wildcats played the Minnesota Golden Gophers and lost 38-22. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Wildcats was Andrew Marty who went 8/10 with 95 yards through the air and tossed 1 TD. He finished this contest without throwing a pick. Andrew Marty paced the team in rushing for the game. He had a long run of 11 yards and he added 2 TD's in the game. He scurried for 52 yards by way of 16 carries which had him averaging 3.3 yards per run. Riley Lees was the receiving yardage leader by earning 53 yards on 3 catches. He notched an average of 17.7 yards per catch for the game. The Wildcats ran the football 49 times and added 127 yards giving them an average of 2.6 yards per carry. Overall, they finished with a total of 61 plays for a total of 222 yards. In the game, the Wildcats got 14 1st downs and they had 5 penalties for 36 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. When it comes to their defensive performance, Northwestern gave up 15 catches on 23 throws totaling 211 yards, and a completion percentage of 65.2%. Against the run, the Wildcats gave up 212 yards on 39 runs which gave them an average of 5.4 yards per attempt allowed. On the day, they conceded 423 yards and forced 1 turnover.

The Wildcats head into this matchup 2-9 for this season. They are one of lowest scoring teams in the nation with an average of 15.2 points per game, putting them 129th in college football. As a team, they have an average of 162.1 rushing yards per contest which is 7th in the conference. For total yardage, they rank 13th in the Big Ten Conference and 128th in college football with 3,132 yards. The Wildcats have one of the average defenses in college football, allowing 24.8 points per game putting them 9th in the Big Ten Conference. In regard to yards on the ground, Northwestern is giving up 148.6 yards per game ranking them 9th in the Big Ten and 58th in the country. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 4 yards per rush putting them 9th in the conference and 51st in the nation overall. Overall, they have allowed 1,635 rushing yards through 11 contests. When it comes to yards through the air, the Wildcats have allowed 1,349 yards. Teams are completing 62% of the throws they are attempting against them and averaging 6.7 yards per attempt.

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In their last outing, the Illinois Fighting Illini played the Iowa Hawkeyes and were defeated 19-10. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Fighting Illini was Brandon Peters who went 16/31 with 125 yards through the air and tossed 1 TD. He walked away with 2 interceptions on the day. Brandon Peters paced the team on the ground for the game. He tore off a long run of 37 yards but wasn't able to convert a rushing touchdown. He ran for a total of 76 yards on 10 carries which means he ran for an average of 7.6 yards per run. Donny Navarro led the team in receiving yardage by racking up 36 yards on 3 catches. He notched an average of 12.0 yards per reception for the game. The Fighting Illini ran the football 39 times and earned 192 yards which earned them an average of 4.9 yards per attempt. Overall, they ran 73 plays for a total of 336 yards. For the game, the Fighting Illini totaled 20 1st downs and they had 4 penalties for 31 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. When discussing the defense, Illinois gave up 18 completions on 35 tries for a total of 308 yards, and a completion percentage of 51.4%. Against the run, the Fighting Illini gave up 79 yards on 32 runs which gave them an average of 2.5 yards per run allowed. For this contest, they conceded a total of 387 yards and forced 1 takeaway.

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The Fighting Illini come into this game with a record of 6-5. Illinois is having a year to forget in the ground game by averaging 154.4 rushing yards per game, which has them at 81st in the country. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 1,698 yards rushing through 11 games, so they are going to want to make some changes to the ground game if they want to make teams respect them. The Fighting Illini average 334.2 yards per game overall ranking them 115th in the nation and 12th in the Big Ten. The Fighting Illini are allowing 25.1 points per contest which puts them at 10th in the Big Ten Conference and 51st in Division 1. In regard to points allowed, they have given up 276 points in total. When talking about rushing yards, they are conceding 187.3 yards per contest which puts them at 89th in the nation and 12th in the conference. This year, they have conceded a total of 2,060 yards rushing and 15.4 rushing TDs. Their pass defense is one of the mediocre units in D-1. They are allowing 221.8 passing yards per game. For passing yards allowed per game, the Fighting Illini sit in 10th in the Big Ten Conference.

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

Josh's Pick: Take the Wildcats +10

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