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Michigan vs. Illinois prediction: Week 8 CFB odds, picks, best bets

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Michigan vs. Illinois prediction: Week 8 CFB odds, picks, best bets


Michigan’s national title defense has been underwhelming this year and its 4-2 record is misleading.

The No. 24 Wolverines narrowly escaped against USC and Minnesota before losing to Washington.

Coming off a bye week, can coach Sheronne Moore right the ship with a road test against No. 22 Illinois?

We’ve seen a steady stream of Michigan money all week, moving this line from an opener of -1.5 for the Wolverines to the current -4.5.

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Let’s dive in and see if there’s any value left in Saturday’s Big Ten matchup.

Michigan vs. Illinois odds

Team Spread Moneyline Over/Under
Michigan -4.5 (-108) -185 o44.5 (-108)
Illinois +4.5 (-112) +154 u44.5 (-112)
Odds via DraftKings

When Michigan has the ball

Moore won’t admit it publicly, but I fully believe he intended to name Jack Tuttle his starting quarterback this season. An offseason elbow injury, however, threw a wrench into those plans, and we didn’t see Tuttle until the second quarter against Washington. 

Tuttle had an interception and a fumble in the game but it was his first live reps in nearly a year, and he’s a better downfield passer than Alex Orji or Davis Warren.

With the benefit of a bye week to get up to speed in the offense, I expect Tuttle to play a much cleaner game this week. Tight end Colston Loveland’s return to full health after missing the USC game will also be pivotal.

However, I don’t expect Tuttle to need to do a ton in this game. The Wolverines will bully an Illini run defense that ranks 105th in defensive line yards. Expect Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards to churn out chunk yardage, keeping Tuttle out of obvious passing situations on third-and-long.

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When Illinois has the ball

Luke Altmyer has had a strong season under center for the Illini, averaging 8.6 yards per attempt and passing for 14 touchdowns to one interception.

However, according to Pro Football Focus, the former Ole Miss transfer is due for some negative regression with nine big-time throws to nine turnover-worthy plays.

Altmyer has especially struggled under pressure, with an 8.4% turnover-worthy play rate. According to PFF, Michigan has the best pass rush unit in the country and Illinois ranks just 93rd in pass-blocking.

Luke Altmyer is playing well for Illinois. Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Elite defensive linemen Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant and Josaiah Stewart can take this game over on passing downs.

It will be difficult for the Illini to avoid those obvious passing situations, as Michigan ranks third in the country in rushing success rate allowed and Illinois ranks 105th in rushing success rate on offense.

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When the Illini faced Penn State, a similarly elite run defense, their running backs finished with 17 carries for just 62 yards (3.6 YPC). 

Michigan vs. Illinois pick

It has to be mentioned that Illinois almost lost to Purdue last week. The Illini escaped with a one-point win in overtime, but the Boilermakers had a 69% postgame win expectancy.

This was the same Purdue team that lost to Wisconsin by 46 points the week prior and had not played within 17 points of an FBS opponent all season.

Coming off a bye week with an opportunity to get its third starting quarterback of the year up to speed, this looks like a solid buy-low point for the Wolverines.


Betting on College Football?


Michigan’s defense is by far the best unit on the field in this game, and I’m banking on Wink Martindale’s group putting constant pressure on Altmyer, especially with Illinois’ struggling run game.

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I’d be surprised if Michigan’s passing attack performed on average for the rest of the season. Still, it might not need to this week, given the considerable advantage the Wolverines should have in the run game.

I’m backing Michigan as a road favorite in this spot against an overrated Illinois team primed to fall back down to earth.

Best bet: Michigan -3.5 (-115, BetMGM)


Why Trust New York Post Betting

Jacob Wayne handicaps college football and the NFL for the New York Post. He’s up 84.5 units across the two sports with a 6.27% ROI.

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REPORT: Michigan Football’s Colston Loveland exits game vs. Northwestern, will not return

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REPORT: Michigan Football’s Colston Loveland exits game vs. Northwestern, will not return


Michigan added to its lead late in the first half when quarterback Davis Warren found tight end Colston Loveland in the end zone for a touchdown in eight seconds remaining until halftime.

However, according to a report from from Jason Avant on Michigan Sports Network, Loveland did not come back out of the tunnel for the second half and is not expected to return in this game for the Wolverines.

No other details have been released regarding Loveland’s absence in the second half. The tight end had three receptions for 22 yards with the touchdown in the first 30 minutes. With his first catch today against the Wildcats, Loveland set a new Michigan tight end record with 54 receptions in a single season.

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Michigan Wolverines On SI will have more on this developing story as more information is released.

– Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on Michigan Wolverines On SI –

For additional coverage of University of Michigan athletics:





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Ryan Walters Emotional in Postgame Presser Following Purdue’s Loss to Michigan State

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Ryan Walters Emotional in Postgame Presser Following Purdue’s Loss to Michigan State


Ryan Walters cleared his throat and took a long pause before answering a question after Purdue’s 24-17 loss to Michigan State on Friday night. The second-year coach was clearly emotional after the Boilermakers fell to 1-10, letting another opportunity slip through their fingers.

Following another disappointing outcome at Spartan Stadium, Walters was asked why it was more difficult to keep his emotions in check on Friday night.

After taking a few seconds to collect his thoughts, Walters answered the question.

“I don’t know a locker room in the country that would be 1-9, going down like we went down in the first half and continue to fight,” he said. “There’s no finger-pointing. They’ve still been practicing their tails off. They’ve still been showing up and going to work every day.

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“If you have kids — I don’t know if you have any kids — when your kids work hard, you want them to have success. They’re working hard, man. It hurts.”

Purdue dug itself into a hole early, trailing Michigan State 24-3 at halftime. It looked like the Spartans were going to cruise to a victory and that the Boilermakers were going to roll over and play dead.

Instead, Purdue came out of halftime showing serious fight. They scratched and clawed their way back into the game, cutting the lead to 24-17 with 13:54 remaining in the game.

“Going into halftime, it felt like the game was getting away from us and the guys in the locker room, it just didn’t seem like they flinched,” Walters said.

Purdue had three more opportunities to tie the game, but failed to take advantage. Numerous dropped passes, a struggling rushing attack and an interception proved too costly in the last three possessions.

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It marked the third time this season Purdue had found itself with a chance to get its first Big Ten win but came up short. The Boilermakers also dropped overtime contests to Northwestern and Illinois.

Now, there’s just one game remaining on the schedule: at No. 5 Indiana. Purdue is 1-10 and remains winless in Big Ten play. As much as the blowout losses have stung, night’s like Friday have been even more difficult to handle for Walters and the Boilers.

They’ve come close multiple times this year, but haven’t been able to clear the hurdle.

PURDUE ATTENDANCE AT 20-YEAR HIGH: Despite Purdue’s struggles on the field this season, fans still flocked to Ross-Ade Stadium on Saturdays to watch Boilermaker football. CLICK HERE



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WATCH: Everything Michigan State’s Jonathan Smith Said After Spartans’ Victory Over Purdue

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WATCH: Everything Michigan State’s Jonathan Smith Said After Spartans’ Victory Over Purdue


EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State finally picked up a win, its first one since Week 8 when it defeated Iowa at home.

While it may seem like the Spartans’ season has been on a decline, even with this win, Michigan State is still just a win away from earning a trip to a bowl game.

Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith discussed Friday’s win when he addressed the media after the game.

You can watch below:

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Below is a transcript from Smith’s opening statement:

Smith: “OK, well, obviously pleased to find a way to win a game. Kind of a tale of two halves; all of you that watched it offensively, defensively, first half, really pleased. I think we had four possessions in the first half. Had points on all four of them. Ended the ended the half with some points; we were feeling good there, but then it totally flipped in the second half. Credit to Purdue, whether it’s adjustments, things like that, but those guys battled for four quarters. And credit some to our defense, too. Early second half, we had gave up a couple of scores there but found a way [in the] fourth quarter to tighten things down, and to give up 17 points and have two turnovers defensively, that’s a solid effort. Offensively, again we got to play for four quarters. And we want to do that better. But found a way to win a game, got another open game with a lot to play for next week.”

Don’t forget to follow the official Spartan Nation Page on Facebook Spartan Nation WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be a part of our vibrant community group Go Green Go White as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.



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