Michigan vs Illinois Odds, Spread and Picks
By Robert Duff in College Football
Published:
- The #3 Michigan Wolverines are 18-point home favorites over the Illinois Illini in their college football game scheduled for Saturday, November 19
- The Wolverines are 6-0 against the spread in their last six games facing teams from the Big Ten West Division
- All of the Michigan vs Illinois odds, spread and picks are analyzed in the following story
Facing the Illinois Illini (7-3, 6-4 ATS) as a double-digit point favorite, those big numbers are proving to be no big deal for the Michigan Wolverines (10-0, 6-3-1 ATS) this season. Michigan is 5-2-1 against the spread as the 10+ point chalk.
Last week, the #3 Wolverines covered as a 30.5-point pick in a 34-3 home victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The week prior, on the road at Rutgers, Michigan covered the 26.5-point spread in a 52-17 rout.
This week, the Wolverines at set as the 18-point home chalk over the Illini. Illinois is 1-2 ATS on the road this season.
Illinois vs Michigan Odds
| Team | Spread | Total | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois Illini | +18 (-110) | O 41 (-110) | +550 |
| Michigan Wolverines | -18 (-110) | U 41 (-110) | -800 |
Odds as of November 17 at Caesars Sportsbook. See the available Caesars Sportsbook bonus code here.
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The line for this Big Ten showdown was opening at Michigan -17 in the CFB odds. The kickoff for this game at Michigan Stadium is set at 12:00 pm ET on Saturday, November 19.  The weather forecast is calling for mostly cloudy skies, 17 mph wind and a temperature of 29 degrees. Broadcast of the game can be watched on ABC.
Illini vs Wolverines Betting Trends
The public betting splits are showing that both spread and moneyline bettors are solidly with the Wolverines. Michigan is drawing 85% of handle and 74% of bets on the public spread splits. It’s even more Michigan-centric in the public moneyline splits. There, handle is at 96% and bets at 94% in favor of the Wolverines.
Total players are of two minds, though. The handle is going 79% with the over. Bets, though, are leaning to the under at 69%. The total of 41 points does seem somewhat low. In the last five games against Illinois, Michigan has scored at least 31 points. In four of those five games, the Wolverines went over 40 points. The lowest total in the last 14 Illinois vs Michigan games is 44 points.
The Wolverines are the +700 third betting choice in the national championship odds. Michigan is given +120 betting line to make it in the College Football Playoff odds.
Illini Could Be In Big Ten Title Game
There’s a five-way tie for top spot in the Big Ten West at 5-4 and Illinois is right there in the hunt. With back-to-back losses to Michigan State and Purdue, the Illini are in the midst of their first losing streak of the season.
Chase Brown hit the Heisman pose!!! https://t.co/QQLJFTF2B5
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) November 12, 2022
Even worse, Illinois running back Chase Brown was held under 100 yards rushing last week for the first time in 10 games. He gained 98 yards on the ground against the Boilermakers. His streak stretched back to November 10, 2021.
Brown is also nursing a leg injury. However, Illini coach Bret Bielema is indicating that Brown is trending in the right direction toward playing on Saturday. Brown leads the nation in rushing yards (1442), and is second in rushing yards per game (144.2).
Michigan Passing Game Suddenly Passé
In the win over Nebraska, Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy completed just eight passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Against Rutgers, he completed 13 passes for 157 yards and two TDs.
In fact, through his past four games, McCarthy’s biggest passing output is 167 yards. He’s dropped to 10th in the nation in completion percentage (.690) and 32nd in yards per attempt (8.19).
J.J. McCarthy's 13.5 yards per attempt on play action is best in the FBS among qualified passers.
Something tells me we'll see more play action against the best teams on Michigan's schedule.
— Trevor Woods (@WoodsFootball) November 14, 2022
The Wolverines are choosing to ride the horse that is RB Blake Corum. Third in the Heisman Trophy odds at +575, Corum is fourth in the nation is rushing yardage (1349), second in the NCAA in rushing TDs (17) and fifth in rushing yards per game (134.9).
Illinois vs Michigan Prediction
Even though the Illini are 0-5 SU in the last five games against the Wolverines, Illinois is 5-2 ATS in the last seven games against Michigan. That’s amazing, considering that Illinois scored 14 points or less in three of the seven games.
Illinois is 9-4 ATS over the last 13 games and 6-1 ATS in the past seven road games. Michigan, though, is 14-5-1 ATS over the past 20 games and 12-3-1 through the last 16 games against Big Ten opponents. Take the favorite to cover the spread Saturday, as the Wolverines won’t get caught looking ahead to Ohio State.
Pick: Michigan -18 (-110)
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Sports Writer
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
