Illinois vs Wisconsin Prediction: The Bret Bielema Bowl
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Illinois never should’ve left the College Football Playoff top 25, and now it’s back in at 21 after beating Rutgers and Maryland – like that was enough to catch the committee’s eye.
There’s still a ten-win season there for the taking with the Badgers this week, Northwestern next week, and what should be a terrific bowl to close it all out.
Head coach Bret Bielema always gets his Illini up for the Badgers, but that all calmed down a bit since he first took on the gig in Champaign.
As bad as this season has been, the season could finish with a big turn up by beating Bielema before closing out with Minnesota.
Illinois vs Wisconsin Preview
How To Watch Illinois vs Wisconsin
Date: Saturday, November 22, 2025
Game Time: 7:30 PM ET
TV: BTN
Location: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
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– Bowl Projections
Why Illinois Will Win
Wisconsin still isn’t scoring.
It’s almost Thanksgiving, and the Badgers still haven’t figured out how to put points on the board.
There was one blip against Indiana last week, but that was it in the 31-7 loss. Wisconsin still hasn’t scored more than 14 points in a game since September 6th.
The Illini offense hasn’t gone crazy over the last few weeks, but it’s got the balance to find ways to keep things moving. But it’s Bret Bielema coaching at Wisconsin.
His ground game which ran for well over 200 yards in each of the two weeks might not take over, but it should control the tempo. However …
Why Wisconsin Will Win
Illinois won’t run on the Badger D.
Indiana never broke free. Oregon and Iowa were the only teams to get past 200 yards, and overall, this bunch is more than holding its own on a weekly basis.
Just keep it close. That’s the goal here.
No, the offense won’t crank up the points, but Illinois has had a wee bit of a turnover problem over the last few games.
As solid as the Badger D has been, it’s not forcing takeaways. It only came up with six all year, but five came in three wins, including two against Washington.
Illinois vs Wisconsin Prediction, Betting Lines
No, Wisconsin isn’t any good, but it’s making teams work.
Indiana won in a blowout, but it was a bit of a grind. It was raining in Eugene, and Oregon had a hard time getting rolling.
Illinois hasn’t been efficient enough to breathe too easily, but the defense has been outstanding over the last two games. It’ll keep the Badger O down without a problem, in a low scoring win.
Illinois 23, Wisconsin 7
Line: Illinois -7.5, o/u: 40.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 4
Must See Rating: 3
Consensus Line from BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
– CFN Top 25 Rankings
Related: Washington vs UCLA Prediction, Preview, and Betting Lines
This story was originally reported by College Football News on Nov 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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