3:30 p.m. Saturday — Champagne, IL
When a team’s season in the Big Ten goes south and a bowl bid is all but impossible, its attention inevitably shifts in a decidedly different direction.
The effort usually slips because it’s just human nature. But when that team plays a big-name opponent like Michigan, Penn State, or Ohio State, you can usually expect nothing short of their best effort.
The Wisconsin Badgers have been burying their backers lately with an 0-5-1 ATS record heading into tonight’s home tilt against Illinois.
The Badgers ATS freefall has also coincided with a six-game losing streak that has them in jeopardy of missing their first NCAA tournament since 1998, before the Bo Ryan era.
It’s the Big Ten opener for both Illinois and Penn State as the Illini travel to Happy Valley to take on the Nittany Lions. Without a doubt, there is a buzz about this Penn State team. With the Ohio State Buckeyes suddenly beatable and Michigan rebuilding, the Nittany Lions are the favorites to win the Big Ten.
