Northwestern football vs. Illinois 2025 predictions

Charlie Jacobs: Northwestern 24, Illinois 31

Illinois did just lose to Wisconsin and Northwestern did just beat Minnesota and overcome the Wrigley Field curse. For Illinois, 10 points against Wisconsin was tied for its lowest of the season. For Northwestern, it scored its third-most points of the season and most ever against a Big Ten team with Zach Lujan as offensive coordinator. The ‘Cats should be able to run on the Fighting Illini, but the Wildcat defense was picked apart against the Golden Gophers. I wouldn’t be surprised if Northwestern wins this game, but it’s hard to pick against Illinois at home with its only loss at Gies Memorial Stadium being to Ohio State.

Bryan Boanoh: Northwestern 24, Illinois 21

To quote NBA on NBC Studio Analyst Kenny Beecham, “Sometimes you gotta stop being an analyst and just be a [CENSORED] fan.”

I want to believe that Northwestern can win this game, and with the way the fighting Illini performed against Wisconsin, I don’t think it’s too outlandish to predict the Wildcats to take advantage of Illinois’ weaknesses in a similar fashion. Wisconsin hit 209 yards on the ground in its win over the Illini, a number Komolafe and Himon II will be hoping to get close to. Additionally, Altmeyer can be prone to turnovers, and we know that the Wildcats can force those after the game against Michigan. I don’t have much more to say in terms of concrete analysis, I just really want to see the Wildcats get this one.

Matt Campbell: Northwestern 24, Illinois 17

Are we really giving Illinois a chance after squandering its CFP chances against Wisconsin last week? I’m not.

Bret Bielema and company are yet to best a conference opponent with a record above .500 since scraping by USC a couple weeks ago. Last season, NU posed little to no challenge to a team with a great running back room and a solid defense. This season? Much different story: Preston Stone was the consensus Big Ten QB1 last week, earning himself conference Player of the Week honors, while Caleb Komolafe climbed into the top five in total rushing yards, jumping NFL draft prospects Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall in the process. This game isn’t a foregone conclusion, but momentum is on Northwestern’s side after its offense had its best game last week and its defense did the same the week before against the Wolverines. A ‘Cats upset is in the cards.

Ascher Levin: Northwestern 20, Illinois 13The ’Cats are coming off a big victory to secure bowl eligibility, and they enter this rivalry matchup with momentum and confidence. With forecasts calling for wind and snow, conditions should favor Northwestern’s ground game and ball-control approach. Caleb Komolafe and Joseph Himon II have been reliable all season, and a weather-affected contest plays directly into their strengths. Preston Stone does not need to replicate his near-perfect Minnesota performance for NU to win, but he must protect the ball and keep the offense on schedule. If he avoids mistakes and hits enough play-action throws, Northwestern can control the pace. The biggest challenge will be slowing Illinois’ passing attack, but the conditions may naturally limit explosive plays. If Northwestern tightens its coverage and forces the Illini into long drives, the defense should have the advantage. In a rivalry game shaped by weather and momentum, Northwestern grinds out a tough, physical win.

Adam Sutro: Northwestern 20, Illinois 16

Tomorrow it’s gonna be cold and snowy in Champaign. Recent weather forecasts predict that it will snow throughout the game up to the time of kickoff, when snow will either continue or give way to rain. Wind speeds of 20 MPH are projected to create a wind chill of 15 degrees. The weather will play a major factor in this football game, and I think that actually benefits Northwestern. In snowy, rainy, windy winter games, teams need to be able to run the football, defend the run, and win the turnover battle. While the Wildcats might not be better than the Illini at a lot of other things, they are as good or better in these three categories. Northwestern is 6th in the B1G in rushing yards; Illinois is 14th. Northwestern is 10th in the B1G in rushing yards allowed; Illinois is 9th. And finally, while Northwestern has committed more turnovers than Illinois, its defense has more takeaways: 15 to the Illini’s 11 (last in B1G). The ‘Cats are underdogs in this one, and deservedly so, but I think the weather plays to their advantage and they pull out a physical, hard-fought victory.

Miguel Muñoz: Northwestern 17, Illinois 30

As many have already mentioned, I expect this one to be a tough and gritty game that will be won in the trenches. Northwestern got its big one last week after finally clinching bowl eligibility with a nail-biting win over Minnesota. Illinois, on the other hand, is coming off a frankly embarrassing 17-point loss to Wisconsin to drop to 7-4. For a team ranked 12th in the country heading into the year that had playoff aspirations, the Fighting Illini are in dangerously apathetic territory right now. But, then again, everything goes out the window when it’s Rivalry Week. I wouldn’t be surprised if this game is very back and forth in the early going. But I ultimately think Illinois’ offensive talent will eventually break through and secure a win down the stretch. While the ‘Cats can no doubt compete in this one, the home environment will be beneficial enough to make a difference for an Illini win.

Calvin Kaplan: Northwestern 24, Illinois 21

Although its last two games were technically played in Chicago, NU got used to more than its fair share of road environments when Michigan and Minnesota fans overran Wrigley Field. Fortunately for the ‘Cats, David Braun has shown his ability to get his team ready for big games, and rivalry week should be no different. Expect a competitive, hard-fought contest, with NU leaning far more on the run game than it did in its Golden Gopher shootout last week due to the upcoming weather conditions in Illinois. The Fighting Illini are talented, but their loss to Wisconsin has them reeling, while the Wildcats are seemingly peaking at the right time. With momentum on its side and Preston Stone looking more poised than ever, Northwestern should be able to find enough offensive juice to pull this one out.

Yanyan: Northwestern 35, Illinois 31

Northwestern got the monkey off its back last week in a big Wrigley win over Minnesota that clinched bowl eligibility for the ‘Cats. With no stakes left in the season besides rivalry bragging rights, I think Northwestern will be able to play freely in this one, while Illinois (like many have said) will be on a downward spiral after a pretty bad loss to Wisconsin. That said, the defense from Northwestern needs to be much better — hence why I’m predicting a pretty offense-heavy game like it was two years ago. Those final drives against Michigan and Minnesota were not ideal, and the defense must be cleaned up

Sai Trivedi: Northwestern 27, Illinois 24

Yes, the ‘Cats have already qualified for a bowl game – but that won’t affect the physicality and effort NU will bring against the Fighting Illini. As Northwestern travels to face its cross-town rivals, both schools find themselves on opposite ends of the spectrum – NU comes in with significant momentum after an iconic win over Minnesota, while Illinois is fresh off an uninspiring loss to Wisconsin. After the ‘Cats found an offensive playbook that clicked in the second half, I feel much more confident in Stone and co. to replicate that success against an Illinois pass rush that’s far less daunting compared to the Golden Gophers. While the ‘Cats defense struggled last week, for much of the season it’s been the strong point of their team. I expect the unit to stand tall when it matters and stave off a late-game rally attempt by the Fighting Illini. Much like last week, this game could be a back-and-forth battle that comes down to a Jack Olsen field goal in the final minutes. As long as the special teams show dramatic improvement, I like Northwestern’s odds in this one.

Season standings:

9-2: Charlie Jacobs, Yanyan Li, Miguel Munoz

8-3: Calvin Kaplan, Ascher Levin

5-1: Adam Sutro

4-0: Sai Trivedi

4-1: Patrick Winograd, Matt Campbell

3-1: Pierson Strandquist

1-0: Charlie Perlman, Donovan West

3-2: Bryan Boanoh

1-2: Drew Christmann