Best Bets for Illinois vs Michigan: Take the Underdog Illini

• The best bet to win the Michigan versus Illinois game is the Fighting Illini with +165 odds.
• Illinois has been a good first-quarter team this year and is a strong bet to go over 3.5 points in the opening quarter with +120 odds.
• Pat Bryant has scored a touchdown in four of six games for the Illini, making him a good anytime touchdown scorer bet with +150 odds.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Betting odds for the AP Top 25 matchup between Michigan and Illinois have made the 22-ranked Fighting Illini four-point underdogs at home versus the 24-ranked Wolverines.

This Michigan vs Illinois betting preview outlines why the best bets for the game are on the Bret Bielema-led team to win, go over their first quarter point total, and for Pat Bryant to score a touchdown.

Michigan vs Illinois Odds

Team	Spread	Moneyline	Total
Michigan	-4.5 (-110)	-195	O 44.5 (-110)
Illinois	+4.5 (-110)	+165	U 44.5 (-110)

Betting on Illinois to Beat Michigan

Illinois is higher ranked than Michigan, playing at home, and has a better record than the Wolverines this season. Those three factors alone make the +165 moneyline odds for the Fighting Illini one of the best bets for the game.

Bettors should also consider how the teams have performed relative to expectations at college football betting sites.

Michigan is 1-5 against the spread, meaning they’ve been consistently overrated by sportsbooks. In contrast, Illinois is 4-2 against the spread and has won every game when favored or underdogs by less than two scores.

Illinois’s only loss this season came on the road versus 9th-ranked Penn State, when they were 19-point underdogs. This team, coached by Bret Bielema, is performing above preseason expectations. Online sportsbooks have been slow to react, making this a great spot to bet on Illinois with +165 to beat an overrated Michigan team.

Betting on the First Quarter Illinois Point Total

Illinois has scored a first-quarter touchdown in their last four games and has scored seven or more points in five of six games this season.

Despite this, legal sports betting sites have set Illinois’s first-quarter total at 3.5 points. The over, with +120 odds, is a great option.

The only drawback is Michigan has allowed just two of six opponents to score more than 3.5 first-quarter points. Notably, two of the three ranked teams Michigan has faced have scored more than 3.5 points in the first quarter.

Betting on a Pat Bryant Touchdown

Pat Bryant has +150 odds to score at least one touchdown against Michigan. The star wide receiver has seven touchdowns, with at least one in four of six games this season.

Michigan’s pass defense, despite having top NFL Draft prospects like cornerback Will Johnson, has struggled, allowing 12 passing touchdowns this season—an average of two per game. This is tied for the 15th-most in all of college football team defensive statistics.

Look for Pat Bryant to capitalize on Michigan’s defense and score a touchdown with +150 odds. At Bovada, bettors can also wager on him scoring two or more touchdowns with +800 odds. He has scored twice in three of six games this season.

News tags: Bret Bielema | College Football | Illinois | Michigan | Pat Bryant | Will Johnson