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Illinois farm family featured in regional Super Bowl commercial

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Illinois farm family featured in regional Super Bowl commercial


A farming family from the Peoria area will be featured in a commercial to air during Super Bowl 58, scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Sunday on WMBD-TV.

The Leman family of Eureka, Illinois, is set to appear in the regional commercial along with at least five other farming families throughout the state. Produced by Illinois Farm Families, the 30-second spot — part of the IFF’s “We are the 96%” campaign — is designed to highlight that nearly all of the state’s farms are family-owned.

“I hope people can see that the same families who have been responsible for growing their food in the past are still responsible for growing it today,” Chad Leman told agweb.com. “But, we’ve had to grow a little in the meantime so the next generation has room to move in.”

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Who is the Leman family?

Vernon Leman began farming the main Woodford County farmstead in 1949, according to IFF. The farm has expanded with each new generation, starting with crops and then moving on to pigs in the 1970s and then onto selling seed to fellow farmers in the 1990s. Three generations of Lemans work the farm now, including Chad and Staci Leman’s daughter, Tessa Leman, a former two-time Journal Star small-school girls basketball player of the year and recent graduate of Illinois State University.

“The next gens don’t have to come back to the farm, but the values and work ethic they learned growing up on the farm will benefit them in whatever path they pursue,” Chad Leman told agweb.com. “No matter what our daughters pursue in life, we hope they carry with them a fondness of the time they spent on our family farm.”

The Lemans will appear in the commercial alongside four other Illinois farming families: the Boucher family of Livingston County; the DeSutter family of Knox County; Bunting family of Livingston County; and the Marr family of Morgan County.

How can you see the Illinois farmers commercial?

The commercial will air in television markets in Peoria, Bloomington-Normal, Champaign, Quad Cities, Quincy, Rockford, Springfield, St. Louis and southern Illinois markets, including the Evansville, Indiana, and Cape Girardeau, Missouri, markets. Following the on-air debut, the full commercial can be viewed on Illinois Farm Families’ Facebook page and Wearethe96.org.

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The IL Corn Marketing Board helped spearhead the commercial for the second year because “consumer education is important to IL Corn,” said Lindsay Mitchell, director of communications and marketing for IL Corn and IFF Coalition member.

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“Closing out the ‘We are the 96%’ campaign with a second Super Bowl ad felt like the exact right way to conclude such a fantastic campaign,” she said.

Tammie Sloup of FarmWeek contributed to this story. Information in it was distributed through a cooperative project between Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Press Association. For more food and farming news, visit FarmWeekNow.com.



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Updated betting spread for Wisconsin vs. Illinois Fighting Illini

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Updated betting spread for Wisconsin vs. Illinois Fighting Illini


The Wisconsin Badgers are looking to end what has been a disastrous season on a high note. The team is 3-7 through 10 games, with a 1-6 mark in conference play and seven multi-score losses. It now closes vs. Illinois on Saturday, then at Minnesota on Nov. 29, badly needing two strong performances to build momentum entering 2026.

Illinois enters the first leg of that final stretch at 7-3 (4-3 Big Ten) on the year, ranked No. 21 in the AP Poll. The team is falling short of its preseason College Football Playoff expectations. However, head coach Bret Bielema continues to elevate the program’s standing, set to deliver another strong eight or nine-win finish.

Luke Fickell and his Wisconsin program are working to rise to Illinois’ current place in the conference. A big 2026 reestablishing the program’s trajectory will be key to that ascension. A strong 2026, as noted, must start with a solid stretch to close 2025.

With just over 24 hours until kickoff between the Badgers and Fighting Illini, here is the updated betting line and over/under.

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Wisconsin football vs. Illinois opening betting odds, money line, over/under

Odds courtesy of FanDuel

  • Point Spread: Illinois minus-8 1/2, Wisconsin plus-8 1/2
  • Money Line: Illinois minus-355, Wisconsin plus-285
  • Over/under: 41 1/2

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion





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3 Big IL Lottery Prizes Set To Expire Soon, Remain Unclaimed

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3 Big IL Lottery Prizes Set To Expire Soon, Remain Unclaimed


Three lottery tickets purchased in the Chicago area are set to expire soon, meaning the unknown lucky winners could be out thousands of dollars if they do not step up to claim their prizes.

Among the cash prizes are two tickets valued at $100,000 each that will expire in March and another with a $200,000 payout, which will expire next week, according to Illinois Lottery officials. The $200,000 Powerball winner was purchased at a Citgo at 44 E. Sibley Avenue in Dolton on Nov. 30.

The other two tickets that have winners that have not claimed prizes include:

  • A $100,000 Powerball ticket bought on March 12 at the Speedway, 110 Arrowhead Drive, Hampshire
  • A $100,000 Powerball ticket bought on March 19 at the Shell, 4900 S. Cicero Avenue, Chicago.

Winners have one year from the draw date to claim their prize, according to the Illinois Lottery.

The Illinois Lottery is urging players to check their tickets as the deadline approaches to claim a $200,000 winning Powerball ticket purchased nearly a year ago in Dolton, Illinois. The ticket will expire in two weeks if not claimed.

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The Illinois Lottery encourages the ticket holder to sign the back of their winning ticket immediately and store it in a safe place until they are ready to claim their prize.

A full list of unclaimed prizes can be found on the Illinois Lottery’s website.



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Illinois vs. Alabama Prediction, How to Watch, Odds, Channel

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Illinois vs. Alabama Prediction, How to Watch, Odds, Channel


The No. 8 Illinois Fighting Illini (4-0) will attempt to extend a four-game home win streak when they take on the No. 11 Alabama Crimson Tide (2-1) on Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at United Center. The matchup airs at 9 p.m. ET on FS1.

The Fighting Illini, who are favored by 2.5 points, are set to take on the Crimson Tide. The matchup’s over/under is set at 180.5.

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Continue scrolling to get everything you need to know ahead of betting on the Illinois-Alabama contest.

Illinois vs. Alabama How to Watch & Odds

  • When: Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at 9 p.m. ET
  • Where: United Center in Chicago, Illinois
  • TV: FS1
  • Streaming: FOXSports.com, FOX Sports App and FOX One (Try free for 7 days)
  • Odds: Illinois is favored to win the game. Check out the latest odds.

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

Illinois vs. Alabama Prediction

Take the Illini to take down Alabama tonight. Illinois is riding high on their 4-0 record and has shown impressive defensive prowess, limiting opponents to just 66.8 points per game. Their frontcourt, led by players like David Mirkovic, could prove to be a significant matchup advantage against Alabama.

Alabama, on the other hand, is coming off a tough loss to Purdue, where they were outrebounded by 24 and struggled from three-point range, going 16-for-43. However, they’ve shown they can score, averaging 91.3 points per game. Labaron Philon Jr. is having a standout season, averaging 19.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 6 assists per game.

  • Pick ATS: Illinois (-2.5)
  • Pick OU: Under (180.5)
  • Prediction: Illinois 86, Alabama 83

Prediction provided by FOX Sports’ Sports AI. Download the FOX Sports App for free access to Sports AI.

Illinois vs. Alabama Betting Insights

Betting Line Implied Predictions

  • Per the spread and over/under, the implied score for the game is Fighting Illini 92, Crimson Tide 89.
  • The Fighting Illini have a 60.5% chance to collect the win in this matchup per the moneyline’s implied probability.
  • The Crimson Tide have a 43.9% implied probability to come out on top.

Key Spread Facts

  • Illinois won 18 games against the spread last season, while failing to cover 17 times.
  • Alabama covered 21 times in 37 games with a spread last year.
  • Illinois had an ATS record of 15-12 when playing as at least a 2.5-point favorite last season.
  • Alabama was an underdog by 2.5 points or more six times last year, and covered the spread in four of those matchups.

Key Total Facts

  • Four times last year, the Fighting Illini and their opponent combined to score more than 180.5 points.
  • Last year, 15 Crimson Tide games featured more than 180.5 points scored.
  • Last year’s combined scoring average for these two teams (174.3 points per game) is 6.2 fewer than the total for this contest.

Key Moneyline Facts

  • Illinois went 19-7 in games it was listed as the moneyline favorite last season (winning 73.1% of those games).
  • Last season, Alabama was the underdog nine times and won five of those games.
  • Illinois had a record of 19-6 in games it played as a moneyline favorite with odds of -153 or shorter last year (76%).
  • Alabama had a record of 2-3 when it was set as the underdog by +128 or more by sportsbooks last season.

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