Illinois vs Wisconsin, Picks, Preview, Odds and Prediction, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025
Use Code WWWC The Illinois Fighting Illini (7-3, 4-3 B10) will be in Madison this Saturday to face the Wisconsin Badgers (3-7, 1-6 B10). Keep reading to check out the Illinois vs. Wisconsin prediction. This will be the first time these teams have met since Wisconsin went on the road and beat Illinois 25-21 in 2023. There are more strong picks in college football available for this weekend, along with the NFL, CBB, NBA, and NHL.
Good but not great
Illinois has not hit the ceiling some people expected, but this is still a solid football team. The returning production was supposed to push them toward a top-15 and even a potential playoff run. Instead, they have settled into that “good but not great” range. The blowout loss to Indiana, and sound defeats to Ohio State and Washington all showed they are not ready for that upper tier of competition.
Illinois sits at 72nd in the country, putting up 386.1 yards per game, 32.2 (39th) points per game. Quarterback Luke Altmyer has quietly put together one of the better seasons in the conference, throwing for 2,427 yards with 21 touchdowns and only five interceptions while completing 69.1% of his passes. Kaden Feagin (477 yard, 6 TDS) gives them a reliable presence in the backfield, and Hank Beatty has grown into a true go-to receiver with 54 catches for 758 yards and three touchdowns.
Defensively, Illinois is strong against the run, allowing only 118.8 yards per game (29th), and while the pass defense isn’t its strength (108th), the defense has been solid overall, holding opponents to 23.9 ppg (65th).
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Can Fickell and Badgers turn it around next season?
There is no hiding what the issue is with this Wisconsin team. The offense has been one of the worst in the country. Wisconsin averages only 246.8 yards per game, which is 135th in the FBS. The passing game sits at 136.3 yards per game (131st) and the run game is barely better at 110.5 (120th). They score 12 points per game, and that pretty much tells the story. It looks just as rough on the field as the numbers suggest.
After losing quarterback Danny O'Neil to injury, the Badgers don't have much of a passing game at all. In last week's 31-7 loss at Indiana, freshman Carter Smith went 9 for 15 for 98 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The week prior, Smith made his career debut and went 3 for 12 for eight yards passing in a 13-10 win over Washington.
The defense is the only part of the team holding anything together. They are top 25 against the run and rank 41st in total defense, giving up 336.7 yards per game. The problem is the same every week. The defense plays hard but eventually gets worn down because the offense cannot string anything together. The good news for Wisconsin fans is that the season is nearly over.
Illinois Fighting Illini vs Wisconsin Badgers Predictions
ATS Pick for Illinois vs Wisconsin:
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Illinois -8.5 (4 units)
This matchup heavily favors Illinois. Wisconsin has one of the least functional offenses in the country, and its passing game is not up to FBS standards of even a mid-major, let alone a Big Ten team.
The Badgers are at home, but you have to score to cover, and I see nothing to suggest their offense will be able to move the ball. Illinois is not an elite team, but they take care of the ball, and they finish drives. With Altmyer leading the offense, I like Illinois to cover.
Total Pick for Illinois vs Wisconsin:
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Under 41.5 (5 units)
Hard to talk yourself into an over with Wisconsin involved. The Badgers have not topped 13 points in seven straight games, and have been held to seven points or less in four of their last five games. On the other side, Illinois is not the type of team that runs up the score for fun, and Wisconsin still has a strong defense.
Illinois will do enough to win comfortably, but not too push this over.
I like the under, expecting a 23-10 Illinois win.
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