On Saturday, November 18th at 3:30 ET, the Iowa Hawkeyes will host the Illinois Fighting Illini. Television coverage for this week 12 CFB matchup at Kinnick Stadium will be on FS1. The Hawkeyes are favored by 3.5 points at home in this Big Ten contest. Can they secure a home victory and cover the spread?

ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI VS IOWA HAWKEYES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Illinois Fighting Illini +3.5

This game will be played at Kinnick Stadium at 3:30 ET on Saturday, November 18th.

WHY BET THE ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 18-15 in favor of Iowa.
  • Even though we have Iowa winning straight-up, we like Illinois at +3.5.
  • The over/under is currently sitting at 30.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 33 points.

Is a Road Win Possible for Illinois?

So far, the Illinois Fighting Illini are 5-5, including going 2-2 on the road and 2-3 at home.

Illinois has gone into three games as the favorite this season and five games as the underdog. Their ATS record is currently 2-7.

Illinois’ over/under record this season is currently 4-4-1. This week’s line of 30.5 is their lowest betting line of the season. So far, their games have averaged 53.1 points.

As they prepare to face the Iowa, the Fighting Illini’s offense is averaging 134.6 rushing yards per game and 4 yards per attempt. Nationally, they are 90th in rushing yards and 39th in passing yards, on an average of 261.2 yards per matchup. Illinois has averaged 23.8 points per game so far. This figure places them 75th in the nation.

Illinois’ defense enters the game ranked 98th in passing yards allowed per game. Opponents throw the ball an average of 33.8 times against the Fighting Illini. They have given up 29.3 PPG, which ranks 119th in college football. In terms of rushing yards allowed, they stand at 99th in the NCAA.

Are Iowa Ready for a Home Win?

So far, the Iowa Hawkeyes are 8-2, including going 3-1 on the road and 5-1 at home.

So far, Iowa has been favored eight times and the underdog in two games. This has led to an ATS record of 5-4-1 and an average scoring differential of +6.5.

Through 10 games, the average over/under line in Iowa’s games is 35.8 points. Their games have averaged a combined 31.1 points leading to an OU record of 2-8.

The Hawkeyes’ heads into the game, averaging 122 rushing yards per game and 3 yards per attempt. Overall, they’re 98th in rushing yards and 98th in passing yards at 122 yards per contest. Iowa is averaging 18.8 points per game, which is 96th in the nation.

Iowa’s defense is ranked 181st in passing yards allowed per game as they prepare for this matchup. Opponents have attempted an average of 34.6 passing attempts against the Hawkeyes. They have given up 12.3 points per game so far, placing them 49th in college football. In the NCAA’s rush defense category, they are 40th.