PREMIUM
Rogers' Saturday SMACKDOWN >> 3-1 Last Saturday!
(NCAAF) Northwestern vs. Illinois,
Point Spread: -16.50 | -110.00 Northwestern (Away)
Result: Win
Point Spread: -16.50 | -110.00 Northwestern (Away)
Result: Win
The set-up: The Northwestern Wildcats look to win to cap their 2017 regular season with a seventh straight win (Northwestern is currently 8-3 and ranked 22nd in the CFP rankings) when visit the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium in Champaign-Urbana. The team's will be playing for the Land of Lincoln Trophy. Lovie's Smith second season (Illinois is just 2-9), has gone no better than his first (the Illini were 3-9 in 2016). Illinois comes in on a nine-game losing streak and has not scored more than 17 points or gained more than 294 yards in its last five games.
Northwestern: RB Justin Jackson has 1,010 yards rushing ( YPC) and eight TDs but the running game is averaging only 147.7 YPG (87th). You may not have heard too much about Jackson but he is just the second player in Big Ten history to rush for over 1,000 yards in four straight seasons! However, while QB Clayton Thorson owns a 14-11 ratio on 60.5%, his 2,669 passing yards have helped the Wildcats rank 46th in passing at 253.3 YPG. Defensively, Northwestern is allowing 21.0 PPG (30th) on 369.7 YPG (46th).
Illinois: The Fighting Illini opened 2-0 (beat Ball St. and Western Kentucky at home) but have not won since. Jeff George, Jr. has taken most of the snaps this season but has completed just 51.9 percent of his passes for 1,273 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Crouch (4 of 14 for 16 yards!) played last week against Ohio St. and George is questionable for this one with a concussion. Making any QB's job harder, is a ground game averaging only 106.1 YPG (122nd). Illinois averages only 16.2 PPG (125th). The defense is allowing 30.5 PPG (88th) on 415.9 YPG (86th).
The pick: A win will improve Northwestern's bowl status plus puts Pat Fitzgerald's team on track to win 10 games for the second time in three seasons. The Wildcats haven't just won six in row, they've covered all six as well, giving them an 8-1 ATS run their last nine. As for Illinois, here's the latest from head coach Lovie Smith. We're down to one more game left in our football season and we're playing our rival," Smith told reporters. "So hopefully we get a couple of guys back and play better than we did on Saturday." Anyone 'buying into' that? Not I. Let's make Northwestern an 8* play.
Northwestern: RB Justin Jackson has 1,010 yards rushing ( YPC) and eight TDs but the running game is averaging only 147.7 YPG (87th). You may not have heard too much about Jackson but he is just the second player in Big Ten history to rush for over 1,000 yards in four straight seasons! However, while QB Clayton Thorson owns a 14-11 ratio on 60.5%, his 2,669 passing yards have helped the Wildcats rank 46th in passing at 253.3 YPG. Defensively, Northwestern is allowing 21.0 PPG (30th) on 369.7 YPG (46th).
Illinois: The Fighting Illini opened 2-0 (beat Ball St. and Western Kentucky at home) but have not won since. Jeff George, Jr. has taken most of the snaps this season but has completed just 51.9 percent of his passes for 1,273 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Crouch (4 of 14 for 16 yards!) played last week against Ohio St. and George is questionable for this one with a concussion. Making any QB's job harder, is a ground game averaging only 106.1 YPG (122nd). Illinois averages only 16.2 PPG (125th). The defense is allowing 30.5 PPG (88th) on 415.9 YPG (86th).
The pick: A win will improve Northwestern's bowl status plus puts Pat Fitzgerald's team on track to win 10 games for the second time in three seasons. The Wildcats haven't just won six in row, they've covered all six as well, giving them an 8-1 ATS run their last nine. As for Illinois, here's the latest from head coach Lovie Smith. We're down to one more game left in our football season and we're playing our rival," Smith told reporters. "So hopefully we get a couple of guys back and play better than we did on Saturday." Anyone 'buying into' that? Not I. Let's make Northwestern an 8* play.
