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Expert picks for Wisconsin vs Illinois: Badgers will put a scare into No. 21 Illini

The Wisconsin Badgers have been playing better football as of late, with higher expectations for a closer game against the No. 21 Illinois Fighting Illini.
Lorin Cox|
Wisconsin running back Chez Mellusi (1) is tackled by Illinois linebacker Tarique Barnes (8) during the first quarter of their game Saturday, October 1, 2022 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
Wisconsin running back Chez Mellusi (1) is tackled by Illinois linebacker Tarique Barnes (8) during the first quarter of their game Saturday, October 1, 2022 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis. | Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

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The Wisconsin Badgers have been playing better football as of late, with higher expectations for a closer game against the No. 21 Illinois Fighting Illini.

Not many college football experts are calling for UW to pull off the upset against their Big Ten rivals, but Wisconsin is projected to keep it close.

Over at CBS Sports, writer David Cobb expects the Badgers to cover a 7.5-point spread, while six of their other analysts are siding with the Illini and the spread.

Related: 4 keys for Wisconsin Badgers to beat Illinois Fighting Illini and Bret Bielema

Bleacher Reports' David Kenyon has Wisconsin keeping it respectable but still falling short in a two-score loss, 26-13.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune and reporter Randy Johnson foresees a similar outcome, 23-14.

One of the Badgers beat reporters for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is calling for the upset.

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Mark Stewart predicts a 24-20 victory for Wisconsin, while his fellow reporter John Steppe thinks UW keeps it close in a 20-13 loss.

For the Chicago Sun-Times, columnist Steve Greenberg sees a more comfortable win for the Illini, 30-13.

The Badgers have kept their last few games more respectable than their early season struggles, and the 13-10 win over Washington gives Wisconsin hope of another ranked upset on Saturday.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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