Illinois vs Minnesota Prediction & College Football Odds for Week (Week 10
- Gopher are playing good football as they cracked the top 25
- Illinois is coming off a loss to Rutgers after upsetting Penn State
- Gophers looking to make it five in a row
A weekend battle in the Big Ten is set to get underway as the Illinois Fighting Illini are on the road to face the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Kickoff is set for 12 PM ET in Minneapolis, Minnesota at Huntington Bank Stadium. The Golden Gophers currently sit at (6-2, 4-1) on the season and the Illini are (3-6, 2-4).
Head coach Bret Bielema’s first season in Champaign was one to forget. The Illini feature one of the worst offenses in college football, currently ranked 122nd at 17.6 points per game. It doesn’t get much better as they are 123rd in passing yards per game at just 144.9.
The positive for this team is his hard nosed coaching style has made team’s adjust to his style of play as they have kept games relatively within distance but they will have their hands full this weekend against No. 20 Minnesota on the road.
Betting Odds & Lines for This Game
- Spread: Illinois +14.5, Minnesota -14.5
- MoneyLine: Illinois (+590), Minnesota (-950)
- Total: 44.5
- All odds listed are courtesy of (PointsBet | Caesars | DraftKings | Fanduel | BetRivers)
Illinois vs Minnesota Prediction: Spread
The Illini defense has played pretty well over the course of the last 7 games. They have had some blunders though as they allowed Wisconsin to run at will, and this past weekend gave up 230 yards to Rutgers. Overall, the Illini have been able to keep games close and have not allowed more than 24 points since the loss to Virginia.
The Gophers have been caught by the injured bug as they are dealing with a plethora at the running back position. Good news if the Gophers have a great offensive line so no matter who is in at back, the ground game should be efficient.
Now, Minnesota is not going to run all over the Illini, or throw a ton of points up on the board, instead they’ll keep it close and grind it out and force turnovers. Golden Gophers are two touchdown home favorites.
- Free Prediction: -14.5 Minnesota
Minnesota vs Illinois Prediction: MoneyLine
If Minnesota can find a way to utilize the run game, then this game will be over very early. As stated earlier, the Gophers tailback depth has been eaten up by injuries but the offensive line is one of the best in the country. Mar’Keise Irving has been strong with the next man up mentality racking up 225 yards and three touchdowns over the last two weeks.
The @BretBielema Show is live tonight at 7 p.m. CT at Papa Del's with guests @Sydbrown___ and @JartaviusM_.
Join us at Papa Del's or listen on the Busey Bank Illini Sports Network » https://t.co/qN0tPWNjLU pic.twitter.com/HJm4nNLDYb
— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) November 3, 2021
Against Maryland and Northwestern the Gophers were able to come away with 326 yards and 308 yards on the ground. The Illini are 0-3 when they allow 200 or more rushing yards on the season.
- Free Prediction: Minnesota (-950)
Minnesota vs Illinois Prediction: Total
Write a couple good paragraphs about the total and what your prediction is for the over/under. Some reasons why, etc…
Turnover will be the story of this game, as the Illini are going to have to come away with some if they want to earn a win. The team has not come away with one over the last two weeks despite upsetting Penn State and being -3 in that margin.
Minnesota has a bad loss to Bowling Green this season because of three giveaways but this team doesn’t have a big turnover issue. This will be another grinded out game and has the potential to be ugly on both ends. Illinois just doesn’t have quite enough to hold off the red hot Golden Gophers.
- Free Prediction: Under 44.5
Bet on This College Football Game
Check out this post for a full list of our weekly college football predictions.
Bet the Props
Illinois running back – Chase Brown Over/under 88.5 rushing yards
