Don’t sleep on this sneaky-good Big Ten matchup, which still doesn’t feel quite like a Big Ten matchup.
Whether we have fully come to grips with realignment yet doesn’t matter. Illinois has a long road trip to a tricky environment, and the Huskies are favored over a ranked team.
The good news for Illinois is that it enjoyed a bye last week, one week removed from a 34-16 home loss to Ohio State. The other loss for the Illini, of course, was a doozy. Final score: Indiana 63, Illinois 10.
In between, the Illini have done plenty of good, including a tight win against USC.
In terms of this matchup, however, there are two concerns. For one, the road trip and environment are a massive edge for the home team. And the Illinois defense, which ranks No. 77 in scoring, could be in for a long afternoon against a Washington offense loaded with weapons.
That offense had a rough go of it last week at Michigan. The Huskies scored just seven points, and QB Demond Williams Jr. threw three interceptions. Playing at home this week should help immensely.
The oddsmakers seem to favor Washington, and so do I.
The Pick: Washington (-4.5)
