Week 12 of the College Football season features a matchup between the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines and the unranked (but received votes) Illinois Fighting Illini. Both teams have top defenses across the country. How will that influence the result of this game? Let’s check out the top Illinois-Michigan prediction and picks for this huge Big Ten battle.
College Football Odds: Illinois-Michigan Odds
| Michigan Spread | -18 (-110) |
| Illinois Spread | +18 (-110) |
| Over/Under | 42.5 |
| Location | Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Mich. |
| Time | Noon ET |
| TV | ABC |
How Does Tommy DeVito Match Up Against Michigan?
Completing nearly 70% of his passes, Illinois quarterback Tommy DeVito has faced some more formidable defenses this year — Iowa and Wisconsin are the top — but Michigan is a whole new animal.
Michigan allows just 160 yards passing per game (fourth in the country) and just 72.7 yards rushing per game (first in the country). DeVito’s top target, Isaiah Williams, has 81 targets on the year. He’s caught 64 of them for 561 yards and five touchdowns. Meanwhile, Michigan has allowed just seven touchdowns passing all year.
DeVito has played well this season, but on the road against the Wolverines, he might have a difficult time passing here. Illinois will need to run the ball with Chase Brown (281 carries, 1,431 yards and seven touchdowns). The time of possession will be critical here for Illinois on the road.
Michigan Is a Massive Home Favorite, But Don’t Sleep on Illinois Defense
Michigan is giving 18 points at home, but Illinois’ defense has been no slouch this year. It ranks just behind Michigan in yards passing allowed per game (161) and gives up 85.9 yards rushing per game (seven in the country).
Ronnie Bell is the top target for Michigan, seeing 67 targets this year, and he’ll have a decent matchup against Jartavius Martin, who’s allowed two touchdowns on 30 receptions (50.8% reception rate). Illinois also sports Devon Witherspoon on the outside, who’s arguably the best cornerback in all of college football, allowing just 19 catches on 54 targets (35.2% reception rate) and no touchdowns.
There are some winnable matchups here, but like Illinois, Michigan will need to rely on running back Blake Corum (227 carries, 1,349 yards and 17 touchdowns).
Final Illinois-Michigan Prediction & Pick
Both teams have rock-solid defenses, so this may not be the game for those looking for scoring. Michigan has a favorable matchup out of the slot with Bell going up against Martin, and with Corum being the better of the two running backs here, but the margin isn’t enough to warrant 18 points.
Illinois’ defense will come to play. They have the corners on the outside to match up man-to-man on Michigan, and they’ll focus on keeping Corum and his nearly 6 yards per carry in check. Michigan will win this game, but Illinois will cover.
Final Illinois-Michigan Prediction: OVER 65 (-110)
