Northwestern vs. Illinois, Preview, Odds, Picks and Prediction, Saturday, November 29th, 2025
In this Northwestern at Illinois prediction, the Wildcats stay in-state to battle the Illinois Fighting Illini in a Big Ten clash on Saturday night. The Wildcats are 6-5 on the season and 4-4 in Big Ten play. The Fighting Illini are 7-4 overall and also have a 4-4 mark in conference play. The opening kick is scheduled for 7:30 pm EST. Don’t get sacked this football season! Try our College Football Picks!
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Northwestern Going Bowling
The Northwestern Wildcats earned a bowl invitation last week with a hard-fought 38-35 win over visiting Minnesota at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Kicker Jack Olsen hit his third field goal of the day, a 33-yard field goal with just 53 seconds left. The win snapped a 3-game losing streak and got the Wildcats to the magic sixth win of the season to clinch a bowl spot.
“It think you saw two football team that are awfully resilient and that are willing to duke it out for four quarters,” Northwestern coach David Braun said. “I'm really proud of our finish.”
Quarterback Preston Stone finished with 305 yards passing and two scores on an impressive 25-of-30 passing. He was particularly sharp after halftime, completing all 15 of his passes in the second half. Running back Caleb Komolafe caught one touchdown and ran for another, finishing with 129 yards of total offense and increasing his touchdown total to 11 for the season. Griffin Wilde had 111 yards receiving and a touchdown and fellow back Joseph Himon II rushed for 47 yards and a touchdown. Overall, the Wildcats had an impressive 505 yards of total offense. They finished 8-of-14 on third down conversions.
The Wildcats’ defense allowed 323 yards of total offense, including just 53 yards rushing. The Wildcats held Minnesota to just 3-of-9 on conversions. Braden Turner led the Wildcats with 11 tackles. Teammates Josh Fussell and Robert Fitzgerald had ten and nine tackles respectively. Michael Kilbane finished with a sack and a tackle for loss against the Golden Gophers. As a team, the Wildcats had four tackles for loss. They didn’t force any turnovers.
Northwestern has clinched a bowl invitation with six wins on the season. They come into this game hoping to finish over .500 in the Big Ten with a victory. The Wildcats are ranked 104th in the country in points per game. They are 40th in rushing and 114th in passing. The Wildcats are 61st in the nation in red zone appearances and 18th in red zone offense. The Wildcats are 17th in sacks allowed per game. Defensively, they are 38th in points allowed per game. They are 98th against the run and 42nd against the pass. The Wildcats are 96th in the country in red zone defense. They are 107th in sacks per game. The team is 8th in penalty yards per game and 78th in turnover margin.
Key Injuries: DL Anto Saka is probable. DB Damon Walters is doubtful. DB Damon Walters is doubtful. RB Cam Porter, DB Evan Smith, and DL Aidan Hubbard are out.
Illini Hopes to Finish Strong
The Illinois Fighting Illini have already clinched a bowl berth, but would like to close out strong and pick up their 8th win of the season on Saturday against Northwestern. A win would also put the Illini over the .500 mark in Big Ten play. The Illini failed to pick up their 8th win on Saturday, falling to Wisconsin on the road, 27-10.
“Coming out in the second half, we actually made a defensive stop or two and I thought we get a stop and get our offense back out there, we'd be able to convert,” Head coach Bret Bielema said. “But, we ended up doing things to shoot ourselves in the foot with a lack of composure, which is uncharacteristic of what we've done. It was very frustrating overall.”
Quarterback Luke Altmyer finished the game 21-of-35 for 248 yards. He didn’t throw a touchdown nor an interception. The Illini running game was nearly nonexistent, rushing for just 50 yards on 29 carries. Altmyer had 13 carries for just 20 yards to lead the team. He did rush for the team’s only touchdown of the game. Wide receiver Collin Dixon had three catches for 64 yards to lead Illinois. The Illini had 298 yards of total offense. They finished a meager 4-of-16 on conversions.
On the defensive end, Illinois allowed 301 yards of total offense, including 209 yards on the ground. Wisconsin was a solid 7-of-15 on third down conversions against the Illini defense. Matthew Bailey, Miles Scott, and Gabe Jacas all finished with double-digit tackles. Bailey led the team with 18 tackles. Scott, Jacas, Tomiwa Durojaiye, and Thompson Jr. all had sacks, with Jacas leading the way with two. The Illini finished with eight tackles for loss in the game.
The Illini will take another shot at picking up their eighth win of the season. They have already earned a bowl bid with six wins, but could improve their bowl positioning with a win against the Wildcats. Illinois is 54th in the country in points per game. The Illini are 106th in rushing and 44th in passing. The team is 29th in red zone attempts per game and 64th in red zone offense. They are just 112th in sacks allowed per game. The Illini are 67th in points allowed per game. The team is 63rd against the run and 93rd against the pass. The Fighting Illini are 112th in red zone defense. They are 16th in penalty yards per game and 80th in sacks. The Illini are 65th in the country in turnover margin.
Key Injuries: WR Hank Beatty is probable. DB Xavier Scott is out.
Northwestern vs. Illinois Pick
| # | Handicapper | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Earle Sports Bets | +2,298.00 |
| 2 |  Ross Benjamin | +1,840.00 |
| 3 |  Rob Vincilleti | +1,757.00 |
| 4 |  David Hess | +1,745.00 |
| 5 |  Dan Kaiser | +987.00 |
Point Spread pick for Northwestern at Illinois
- Illinois -6.5 (4 units)
The Wildcats have won seven of the last ten meetings between the two teams, but the Fighting Illini have won three of the last four. In those ten games, there have been only two games decided by less than a touchdown. Northwestern has dropped three of four games and may be due for a letdown game after earning a bowl berth with a win last week. They are also just 1-4 on the road this season, while the Illini are 5-1 at home. Illinois is the stronger of the two teams in scoring, ranked 54th in scoring, while the Wildcats are 104th. The Illini will have plenty of opportunities to score, ranked 28th in the country in red zone appearances per game. After a tough game last week, look for the Illini to bounce back and pick up their 8th win of the season.
Take the Fighting Illini -6.5
Over/Under Pick for Northwestern vs. Illinois
- Over 45.5 (4 units)
This number has dropped two points since opening at 47.5. The two teams have gone over the number in four of their last five meetings. The Wildcats have gone over this number in two straight, and the Illini have gone over the number in three of their last five games. This one will keep those trends going, with the two teams combining to sail past the number.
Take the over.
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