The number 21 Illinois battles Illinois (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) welcome No. 22 seed Michigan Wolverines (4-2, 2-1) to Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill. Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS). Let's analyze the 24/7 college football odds from BetMGM Sportsbook Michigan vs. Illinois Opportunitiesand make our college football picks and predictions.

Illinois is No. 21 and Michigan is No. 22 in the US LBM Coaches Survey.

The Fighting Illini are coming off one of the most exciting games of Week 7, defeating Purdue 50-49 in overtime to avoid being a 22.5-point home favorite. Illinois is 4-1-1 against the spread (ATS) on the season and 2-1 ATS in conference play. The game before the Week 7 bout was a 21-7 road loss to No. 3 Penn State.

Michigan suffers its second loss of the season before the bye week. In Week 6, they lost 27-17 on the road to the Washington Huskies and were unable to cover themselves as 1.5-point underdogs. The Wolverines are 1-5 ATS on the season and 1-2 ATS in conference play. They have uncharacteristically allowed 24 or more points in 4 of their last 5 games.

– Rankings: US LBM Coaches Survey conducted by the American Football Coaches Association and USA TODAY Sports

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Michigan at Illinois odds

Powered by BetMGM Sportsbook; Visit the USA TODAY sports scores and sports betting hub for a complete list of college football odds. Lines were last updated at 9:00 a.m. ET.

• Moneyline (ML): Michigan -190 (bet $190 to win $100) | Illinois +160 (bet $100 to win $160)
• Against the Spread (ATS): Michigan -4.5 (-110) | Illinois +4.5 (-110)
• Over/Under (O/U): 44.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

Tips and predictions for Michigan and Illinois

forecast

Illinois 27, Michigan 21

Money line

BET ILLINOIS (+160).

Illinois struggles in run defense, and that was clear against Purdue. However, the Boilermakers had the opportunity to pass, but Michigan did not. The Wolverines had just 113 passing yards against Washington, and that inability will allow Illinois to get to the edge of the box. The Fighting Illini are 4-0 and 2-1-1 ATS at home. They also have a big road win against Nebraska on their resume.

Michigan is 0-1 on the road and lost to an unranked Washington team. This is only its second road game and it has yet to finish in the top 30 in a single game this season, suggesting it may struggle to keep up with a high-octane Illinois offense.

Put it all together and take a chance on the Fighting Illini keeping their strong play alive. Back ILLINOIS (+160).

Against the spread

HAPPEN.

While Illinois has a playable spread, there is a risk in playing it on the moneyline instead. Going against the Illini for the overall win is the recommended play here.

Over/Under

BET OVER 44.5 (-110).

The Wolverines have lost in three straight games and have scored 27 or more points in three of their last four games. Their defense struggled to keep teams off the field, allowing 24 or more in 3 straight games.

Illinois has scored at least 30 points in 3 of its last 4 and is 2-1 O/U in Big Ten play. While Illinois allowed 26 points in its first three games, it has allowed at least 21 in three straight games. Expect these defensive issues to continue.

Back OVER 44.5 (-110).

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