The Wisconsin Badgers (2-2) enter Saturday’s contest against the Illinois Fighting Illini as seven-point favorites and are looking to rebound after last week’s debacle in Columbus.
The Badgers, coming off a 52-21 loss to Ohio State, looked disjointed on both sides of the ball; it is, however, worth noting that Ohio State is on a short-list of the nation’s top programs and is infinitely more talented than UW.
Ahead of Saturday’s matchup, ESPN’s FPI model gives Wisconsin an 74.2% chance of winning at home against the Illini.
This projection seems about right, considering Bret Bielema’s program hasn’t been to a bowl game since 2019 and doesn’t appear to be a viable threat to win the Big Ten West. They have, however, noticeably improved in 2022.
For Wisconsin, I’d love to see the Badgers come out swinging against Illinois and dominate in the trenches. Sophomore running back Braelon Allen will be on a mission after last week’s loss – I’m expecting him to be the clear focal point as this offense continues its search for an identity.
If everything goes the way it should, I think Wisconsin wins the game and also covers the spread.
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