Tag: Illinois Fighting Illini

The good news for Wisconsin: Illinois isn’t a bad loss this year

Positive spin

Yes, a loss to the Illinois Fighting Illini hurts the Wisconsin Badgers. Just when it seemed this team was beginning to round into form and establish a clear winning identity, a 71-70 setback suffered in the Kohl Center on Wednesday night puts a halt to Wisconsin’s momentum. When one realizes that two of the Badgers’ four previous wins (part of their four-game winning streak) were against Milwaukee and Rider, it is clear that they have to do a lot more to prove that they can be consistently good. Consistency is very relative when part of “consistency” involves games against downmarket opponents. Wisconsin still has to show that in a two- or three-week stretch of Big Ten play, it can maintain a strong identity.

So, to be clear, we are aware of the bad-news components of Wednesday’s loss, and will discuss those unsettling developments in other articles. In this article, however, it is worth underscoring one point: Even though the Badgers watched the end of their 15-game winning streak over Illinois, it is also true that losing to Illinois isn’t a profile-killer. That applied to the previous two Illinois seasons. Losses to the Illini in 2018 or 2019 were especially bad.

This year, Illinois should win at least 18 games and will have a great chance to win at least 20. The Big Ten is deep and cutthroat — no one needs an explanation of that statement — and Illinois is showing it can hang with other formidable teams in the conference. The Illini notched their 11th win of the season and are 3-2 in the conference. Their three wins haven’t been against the dregs of the league. Brad Underwood’s team has beaten Michigan, Purdue, and Wisconsin. That looks like a bubble team at worst. If Wisconsin wants to take at least some comfort from a very uncomfortable and upsetting loss, that is the main note to emphasize. Illinois is not going to drag down the Badgers’ profile. The problem is that Wisconsin didn’t enhance its own resume.

Can you make the argument that Wisconsin and Illinois are both competing for an at-large NCAA Tournament bid? Yes. However, when comparing Wisconsin to lots of bubble teams in other conferences, the presence of a loss to Illinois won’t be a reason to disqualify the Badgers. If anything, it might be a good loss more than a true negative, a failure to add to a resume rather than a subtraction. There is a difference.

Three Illinois players Badger fans need to know

Wisconsin hosts the Illinois Fighting Illini on Wednesday evening. Badger fans should be sure to know these three opposing players.

Wisconsin (9-5) will look to make it five wins in a row when it plays host to Illinois (10-5) at the Kohl Center on Wednesday evening.

The Badgers took down the Fighting Illini in both matchups between these programs last season and have had extraordinary success in this series throughout recent years, winning 14 consecutive games. The last time Illinois beat Wisconsin? Jan. 2, 2011.

That being said, while the Badgers have been on a roll as of late and are coming off of their best win of the season at No. 5 Ohio State last Friday, Wednesday could very well be the day the Illini finally get back in the win column against Wisconsin. There’s still work to be done in order to enhance the resume, but head coach Brad Underwood has a roster this season that should have Illinois contending for its first NCAA Tournament since 2013.

The Illini have been playing some pretty good ball as of late, winning four of their last six games starting with a 71-62 victory over No. 5 Michigan back on Dec. 11. They also destroyed Purdue at home, 63-37, the last time they took the court. However, it’s worth noting that Illinois has dropped three of its four road games this season (against Arizona, Maryland and Michigan State), with the only win coming against Grand Canyon in the second game of the season.

If they are going to take down a Wisconsin group that has been excellent at home so far, these three players are going to need to step up for the Fighting Illini.

Kofi Cockburn – Center

Current stats: 15.0 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 1.4 bpg, 55.6 FG%, 64.8 FT%

As a poor rebounding team, the Badgers are in for a long night on the boards against Illinois, one of the nation’s best in that category. The Illini’s prowess in the paint begins and ends with Cockburn, a 7-0, 290-pound behemoth of a center who is likely to give Wisconsin’s bigs nightmares for weeks.

He’s just a freshman, but the Jamaica native has been a man among boys all season long. Cockburn ranks second in the Big Ten and No. 16 nationally in offensive rebounds and is No. 5 in the conference in total rebounds per game. He’s also Illinois’ top shot-blocker and No. 2 scorer (just 0.1 points below the next player on this list).

A five-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week honoree, Cockburn is likely shoo-in for the conference’s Freshman of the Year award at the end of the season.

Ayo Dosunmu – Guard

Current stats: 15.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.0 spg, 46.9 FG%, 27.5 3P%

Feb 18, 2019; Madison, WI, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) dribbles the ball as Wisconsin Badgers guard Brad Davison (34) follows at the Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports

A former five-star recruit out of Chicago, Dosunmu lived up to the hype throughout his first go-around in Champaign last season by becoming the first true freshman in school history to lead Illinois scoring. It’s been more of the same type of production for the 6-5 floor general this year.

Dosunmu is second on the team in assists and third in steals, but his primary purpose for the Illini is to get buckets. He’s been quite successful in that regard as the Big Ten’s No. 7 scorer at 15.1 points per game, and his 46.9 percent shooting clip from the floor the eighth-highest in the conference.

That being said, Dosunmu has struggled mightily against the Badgers to this point in his young career, going a combined 8-31 from the floor in Illinois’ two losses to Bucky last season.

Andres Feliz – Guard

Current stats: 10.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.5 apg, 0.7 spg, 49.1 FG%, 29.4 3P%

Underwood has been having Feliz come off his bench, but you could argue he’s been Illinois’ most valuable player this season.

Cockburn and Dosunmu are legitimate stars and future pros, but every good college basketball team needs a player like Feliz. I’ve watched a few of the Illini’s games this season, and the senior floor general’s leadership, hustle and toughness are palpable. Those intangibles aside, Feliz will also stuff the box score as well: he’s third on the team in scoring and rebounding, and he leads Illinois and ranks ninth in the Big Ten in assists per game.

Wisconsin faces the right test at the right time from Illinois

Wisconsin-Illinois look-ahead

In any sports season, one of the key variables of competition which affects outcomes and the evolution of a team (or an individual athlete) is the timing of a meeting against a specific opponent.

Do two teams play when one is clearly ascendant and the other is in decline? Do two teams meet when they are both struggling, or both rising? Does a team face a specific opponent at a point in time when its weakness is especially vulnerable against an opponent’s strength, or vice-versa? How do injuries or suspensions fit into the picture? Timing is so important in sports and sports schedules.

For the Wisconsin Badgers, Wednesday’s opponent is the ideal opponent to face — not in the sense that this game is easy, but in the sense that the Illinois Fighting Illini will test Wisconsin in the way the Badgers need to be tested. If Wisconsin turns in a solid performance and beats Illinois, we can tell that the Badgers are on the right track.

Here’s why: Wisconsin’s win over Ohio State was a classic “stay the course” win, a portrait of resilience and perseverance. This is how Wisconsin needs to win in Big Ten play. This is how the Badgers HAVE to win in Big Ten play. This is how Wisconsin will advance in the NCAA Tournament, assuming the Badgers get there (and they’re looking a lot better now than they did two weeks ago). Illinois is an opponent which requires — and often rewards — resilience. You will see what I mean in the next paragraph:

Illinois led Maryland by 14 points at halftime, but the Illini offense crumbled in the second half. Illinois faltered down the stretch, and Maryland was able to catch and pass the Illini for a 59-58 victory. Illinois is a team which will go through at least one lull in every road game it plays. The Illini are a headache to deal with when they are “ON,” but that switch doesn’t always remain on when Illinois plays away from Champaign. This could very well become a game in which Illinois gets out of the blocks quickly, much as Ohio State roared out of the gate to start the first and second halves on Friday.

The Badgers stayed the course against the Buckeyes. This might be a stay-the-course game against the Illini. Very simply, if Wisconsin takes Illinois’ best punch a few days after absorbing big runs by Ohio State, we can know with a lot more certainty that the Badgers have become what we expect UW to be: the more resilient team on the court when compared to its opponent.

Illinois will offer a stress test to make sure Wisconsin has really and fully become a tough team ready for the rigors of the full Big Ten season. If the Badgers pass this test, they will offer a convincing answer about their readiness for the road ahead.

Illinois is part of two cycles in Big Ten basketball

More on Illinois basketball within the context of the Big Ten

I hasten to offer a clarifying statement at the start of this piece, so that no one gets the wrong idea: There are more than two cycles at work in present-day Big Ten basketball. I am not limiting the amount of cycles to only two. More can be found and remarked on.

Today — here and now — I am focusing on two cycles, and Illinois basketball is part of them. This line of thought offers perspective on the Fighting Illini before Wednesday’s game against the Wisconsin Badgers. It also sheds light on what has been happening in Big Ten basketball in recent years.

Let’s start with the more immediate cycle at work in the Big Ten: the simple reality that downtrodden teams are having a happy moment this season. Illinois was 12-21 last season, but the Illini have begun to make substantial improvements and take concrete forward steps as a program this year. A team which was 4-11 after 15 games at this point in January of 2019 is 10-5 in January of 2020. Illinois has lost to Michigan State, Maryland and Arizona on the road, all expected losses. The Illini would like to have back at least one of two losses — Miami at home, Missouri in St. Louis — but if Illinois is basically one game short of an ideal situation, the program is fundamentally on schedule this season.

Illinois — should it continue its upward trajectory — is poised to make the NCAA Tournament and join both Rutgers and Penn State in the Big Dance. This is one of the central stories of the Big Ten in early 2020: Several teams in the conference are picking themselves off the canvas and creating fresh excitement among their fan bases. It is the year of revival in the conference. If we go back a few years, we can see that other programs — most notably Northwestern — have enjoyed breakthrough seasons after struggling. Even Nebraska made an NCAA Tournament not THAT long ago (in 2014). If a Big Ten basketball program seems to have no hope, wait a few years. Illinois is part of that parade. The Illini have a lot of work to do to make the NCAAs, but they are on the right track. After the first two seasons of Brad Underwood’s tenure in Champaign, that was hardly a sure thing.

Here is the larger cycle Illinois is part of, however: The Illini might be on their way to the NCAA Tournament this season. Let’s say that does indeed happen. Would there be any assurance the Illini could make the music last? This is the uncertainty which looms over most Big Ten programs. I would say that five conference programs — Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Ohio State — can currently and reasonably expect to be very good nearly every year with few interruptions. The other nine cannot, or at least, have not yet proven they can.

Wisconsin basketball fans are especially happy — rightly so, I might add — that Minnesota basketball simply hasn’t been able to gain much traction this century. The Golden Gophers have made the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons only once this century, in 2009 and 2010. Minnesota just doesn’t build or gather momentum as a program… and that dynamic applies to the other eight schools in the conference: Iowa, Northwestern, Nebraska, Indiana, Maryland, Rutgers, Penn State, and — of course — Illinois. Name the last time any of those programs hit or came close to hitting their ceiling of potential in back-to-back seasons. Maybe Maryland in recent years, but I would say that Maryland has not maximized its potential in any individual season since joining the Big Ten. The Terrapins have gotten solid NCAA Tournament seeds in the 4 to 6 range, but those teams had 2-seed potential and didn’t come especially close to realizing it.

Cycle No. 1: You can pick yourself up in the Big Ten even if the previous few seasons have been bad.

Cycle No. 2: If you have a good season in the Big Ten — and you’re not a Michigan school, Wisconsin, Purdue, or Ohio State — that good season is typically surrounded by subpar seasons.

These are the two Big Ten basketball cycles Illinois is currently a part of. We will see if the Illini or any of other eight members of the conference’s underclass can break free of these chains in the 2020s.

Illinois is where Wisconsin was a few weeks ago

More on Illinois basketball

Fans of the Wisconsin Badgers can look across the way at the Illinois Fighting Illini on Wednesday night in the Kohl Center and see a familiar story. Illinois inhabits the world Wisconsin lived in a few weeks ago. This is a less complicated point than one might first think.

Very simply, Illinois is currently locked in a rut where the Illini play great basketball at home but simply can’t find a way to break through on the road. Over a full month, Illinois has had the Jekyll-and-Hyde identity Wisconsin displayed in its first month of play this season. The Badgers have seemingly broken their spell by winning in Tennessee on Dec. 28 and then beating Ohio State in Columbus this past Friday. Part of what makes this Illinois-Wisconsin game so interesting is that the Illini are trying to make a Wisconsin-like transformation… and that they need to beat the Badgers in order to achieve it.

On December 7, Illinois almost beat Maryland on the road, but their offense withered on the vine in the second half. They blew a 14-point halftime lead and lost by one. Illinois’ offense didn’t suffer a similar meltdown at home against Michigan on Dec. 11, winning 71-62 against an opponent which had recently risen in the national rankings after winning the Battle 4 Atlantis.

Illinois, following that mid-December win over Michigan, won its next three home games by 14 points or more, including a 26-point thrashing of Purdue this past Sunday. However, the Illini have not been able to carry that level of play to other gymnasiums, especially on offense. Illinois scored 56 points in losses to Missouri and Michigan State. The Illini have not scored more than 58 points in any game played away from Champaign since Nov. 10 in Tucson against the University of Arizona… and they lost by 21 on that night two months ago.

Wisconsin hopes it has permanently gotten past the home-road problem. Illinois is immersed in it right now.

Brad Underwood might ask Greg Gard before Wednesday’s game how he halted the Badgers’ most troubling trend. Don’t expect Gard to offer any advice. Underwood is on his own in the attempt to figure out how the Illini can evolve.

Wisconsin decade in review: Badgers vs Illinois

Wisconsin vs. Illinois

As the 2019 season brings to a close another decade of college football, Badgers Wire has been engaged in a series of reflective pieces. “Record Review” is another series examining how the Badgers have fared against the rest of the Big Ten conference in the 2010s. Next up is an examination of the Badgers’ record against divisional rival Illinois. The Illini haven’t had too much success in the past 10 seasons, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Wisconsin dominates this series. 

Using Stassen, Badgers Wire pulled up every result against Illinois in the decade. The Badgers are 8-1 against the Fighting Illini. This year, the Illini finally notched a win over Wisconsin for the first time since 2007. It’s impressive how dominant the Badgers have been in this particular Big Ten West matchup. Up until this year, the closest game the two played was the previous time Illinois won, 12 years ago. Other than that, the closest game you could find were a couple of 10-point wins by the Badgers. 

The toughest loss for the Badgers is obviously the one-point defeat at the hands of the Illini this year. One could make the argument that the loss didn’t really affect anything other than their overall perception with voters, but if Wisconsin had been 11-1 and not 10-2 heading into the Big Ten Championship Game, it would have been playing for a playoff spot, not just a conference championship. Having lost to Illinois, the reality was that when the Badgers got beaten down by Ohio State a week later, it didn’t look good.  

One thing to say about the loss to Illinois is that’s the type of thing the Badgers have been good about avoiding; they need to avoid that type of loss in the future if they want to compete for national titles. As already mentioned, win that game and it doesn’t come down to a final week contest against Minnesota, UW’s biggest rival. Win the easy games when they’re there and improve on the harder ones. If Wisconsin can kick things back to the normal setting in this series (in other words, this decade preceding 2019), they’ll be alright in the next decade. 

2020 and beyond could witness the evolution of the Illini. Illinois could get a little better with Lovie Smith as head coach. He’s done well in the NFL, making a Super Bowl, and even if it takes him a few more seasons, there is no reason to think he can’t be a moderately successful college coach. Hell, he’s made a Super Bowl with Rex Grossman as his quarterback. If he can do THAT, he should be able to win in Champaign. He’ll make it interesting, but Wisconsin has the talent and coaching to keep the loss column low if the Badgers are committed to this game versus the Illini every year.

Redbox Bowl: California Golden Bears vs. Illinois Fighting Illini odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Monday’s Redbox Bowl betting odds and lines between the California Golden Bears and the Illinois Fighting Illini with betting picks, tips and bets.

The California Golden Bears (7-5) and Illinois Fighting Illini (6-6) square off in the Redbox Bowl. Kickoff at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., is set for 4 p.m. ET Monday. We analyze the California-Illinois odds and betting lines, while providing college football betting tips and advice on this matchup.

California vs. Illinois: Three things you need to know

1. Illinois makes its first bowl appearance since the Heart of Dallas Bowl back on Dec. 26, 2014. The Illini are looking for their first bowl win since beating UCLA in the 2011 Fight Hunger Bowl.

2. California will be playing its 14th bowl game inside the borders of its own state. The Golden Bears are just 4-8-1 SU in the past 13 bowl appearances in the state of California, however.

3. Cal is 1-4 ATS in the past five as a favorite, 1-4 ATS in the past five non-conference games and 1-4 ATS in the past five bowl games. Illinois is 5-0 ATS in the past five as an underdog, and 6-2 ATS in the past eight neutral-site appearances.

College football season is almost over! Place your bets on this game, or others, at BetMGM now. Place your bets and win, win, win!

California vs. Illinois: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Sunday at 10 p.m. ET.

Prediction

California 27, Illinois 24

Moneyline (ML)

California (-264) is a rather moderate favorite, but don’t expect the Golden Bears to run away from the Fighting Illini (+205). If you’re looking for an ML play, the Illini are much more attractive, paying just over 2-to-1 (Every $1 wagered on the Illinois ML will profit $2.05 if it wins).

Against the Spread (ATS)

ILLINOIS (+5.5, +105) is the way to go. This one should be a very entertaining and close battle. This season, the Illini just found ways to cover, although bettors will have some pause after they inexplicably got trucked in their season finale against the lowly Northwestern Wildcats.

Over/Under (O/U)

OVER 41.5 (-129) is the play, just make sure you forget that Cal played to a 10-7 loss last season in the Cheez-It Bowl against the TCU Horned Frogs. This game won’t be a track meet, but a line of just over 40 is too low.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Big Ten, big ’20s: Illinois football

Illinois football in the 2020s

For the biggest questions and challenges facing the non-Wisconsin Big Ten football programs in the coming decade, I reached out to friends for some outside perspectives. For the Illinois Fighting Illini, I consulted Terry Johnson, whom you can find on Twitter at @TerryPJohnson.

Terry used to work with me at Comeback Media and, before that, at College Football News. He follows the national scene quite well, but Illinois is one of the Big Ten programs he has observed more closely than others. (You can also get the best assessments of Georgia and Utah from him — he lives in Georgia, and family members attended the University of Utah.)

Here is what Terry had to say about the coming decade of Fighting Illini football, as our “Big Ten, big ’20s” series continues at Badgers Wire:

*

The biggest question surrounding Illinois football in the 2020s is whether the team will contend in the Big Ten West year in and year out.

I realize that most casual football fans will dismiss this idea. They only know the Fighting Illini as a team that usually struggles, but occasionally breaks through with a big season, as it did in 2001 or 2007. After suffering losses to Eastern Michigan, South Florida (twice), and Rutgers in the past three seasons, it’s easy to see why people don’t expect Illinois to compete for B1G West crown anytime soon.

However, as Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast, my friend”.

Illini football wasn’t always an “also ran” in the Big Ten. Mike White guided Illinois to five straight winning seasons from 1981-1986, highlighted by a Rose Bowl berth at the end conclusion of the 1983 season. John Mackovic succeeded him and led the Illini to four additional winning seasons, including a top 10 finish in 1989. Lou Tepper took the team to two bowl games in three seasons before things fell apart in 1996.

In other words: it’s possible to win consistently at Illinois. Unfortunately, it hasn’t happened since Texas lured Mackovic away in 1992.

Will Lovie Smith finally get the Illini back to the level it was under White and Mackovic?

That’s a great question. Illinois showed flashes of brilliance at times this season, posting impressive wins against Wisconsin and at Michigan State. Yet, it also suffered head-scratching losses to Eastern Michigan, Nebraska, and Northwestern(?!).

Simply put: there’s no way to know which direction things will go over the next few seasons. That’s why people will ask, “when will Illinois reach the level of consistency that it did in the 1980s” for most of the 2020s.

— Terry P. Johnson

10 for 20: Illinois basketball

Illinois basketball in the 2020s

When discussing Illinois basketball in the 2020s, the focus for the Fighting Illini can go in several different directions, all of them valid ways of framing the future for the program. Some could say that Illinois has to get back to being a Sweet 16 program, which it was under Bill Self and Bruce Weber. Valid. Some would say that Illinois should be beating out other Big Ten programs for elite recruits in Chicago and other metro areas in the Midwest. Some would say the Illini simply can’t miss the NCAA Tournament six straight seasons, or that Illinois ought to be making NCAA tourneys in consecutive seasons. Believe it or not, the Illini have not made back-to-back NCAA trips since 2006 and 2007.

If you were to start in any of those places, you would be raising a fair question about the main goal for Illinois in the 2020s. To be sure, they are all part of the story of Illinois basketball and represent necessary discussion points for the program.

I frame the 2020s relative to Illinois basketball through this prism, however: I am less focused on the results (which obviously need to improve to a considerable extent) than on the man tasked with generating them.

Much like Maryland, Illinois is a coach-specific story heading into the new decade. Mark Turgeon has the profile and career trajectory of a coach who can succeed at the highest level, having made his way through a strong coaching tree on a path which led from the mid-majors to the high majors to a basketball school near a big urban center. Underwood has followed that same path. He is part of the Bob Huggins coaching tree. He won at Stephen F. Austin. He carried that success to Oklahoma State. Now he is in Illinois, where the access to Chicagoland talent gives him a chance to become a star in the coaching profession.

The first two seasons for Underwood in Champaign were very rough, probably rougher than he privately expected. (The first season, not so much, but the second season was an extremely bumpy ride.) In Year 3, signs of an improvement exist, but a late collapse against Maryland reminded Illinois how far it still has to climb, and how much it must work to expunge bad habits and inclinations. Had Illinois won that game, it would have had an especially strong NCAA resume, given its win over Michigan. As things stand, Illinois is a total mystery this season. At least, though, Underwood can see some evidence of improvement.

Will Underwood be an elite coach? If that question can be answered in the affirmative in the 2020s, everything else will take care of itself for Illinois. Wisconsin fans hope Underwood won’t cross the threshold. The next two seasons will probably tell the tale in Champaign.

Michigan at Illinois odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Wednesday’s Michigan Wolverines vs. Illinois Fighting Illini sports betting odds and lines, with college basketball betting picks and tips.

The Michigan Wolverines (8-1, 1-0 Big Ten) and the Illinois Fighting Illini (6-3, 0-1) square off at State Farm Center at 9 p.m. ET in a Big Ten Conference clash. We analyze the Michigan-Illinois odds and betting lines, while providing college basketball betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Michigan at Illinois: Three things you need to know

1. The Wolverines were drummed 58-43 at No. 1 Louisville Dec. 3, but they rebounded with plenty of anger, topping the Iowa Hawkeyes 103-91 at Crisler Center Dec. 6. While they lost the road game to the Cards, they do have impressive late November wins over then-No. 6 North Carolina (73-64) and then-No. 8 Gonzaga (82-64) on a neutral floor at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas.

2. Michigan is 41-18-2 against the spread in the past 61 against teams with a winning overall record.

3. Illinois is 2-6 ATS in the past eight against teams with a winning overall record.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!

Michigan at Illinois: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Michigan 88, Illinois 77

Moneyline (ML)

MICHIGAN (+115) is going to win this game outright. An elite team, which beat Gonzaga and North Carolina, isn’t going to lose to an ordinary Illinois club, which has losses to Arizona, Miami (Fla.) and Maryland.

Against the Spread (ATS)

MICHIGAN (+1.5, -110) is worth a rather sizeable bet if you can afford it from your bankroll. Juwan Howard’s club is going to steamroll Illinois (-1.5, -110) on the road in Champaign. The Illini are improving, especially with dynamic freshman C Kofi Cockburn, but they’re not quite there yet.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Michigan to stay within 2 points in a loss or win outright would profit $9.09 if it does so.

Over/Under (O/U)

OVER 142.5 (-110) is the play in this one. I love the Wolverines and the Over as part of a multi-unit parlay. If you’re looking to make a little cheddar on Hump Day, that’s the way to go.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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