Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Washington Huskies Prediction and Picks – Saturday, October 25, 2025
Use Code SSWC The Washington Huskies are hosting the No. 23 Illinois Fighting Illini this week, and we're previewing the lines and odds in our Illinois vs. Washington prediction. Washington is returning home after falling 24-7 on the road against Michigan, while Illinois is traveling west after a 34-16 loss to Ohio State. Kickoff is set for 3:30 PM ET on Saturday, October 25.
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Illinois looking to rebound after Ohio State loss
The Illinois Fighting Illini enter Week 9 at 5-2 overall, 2-2 in Big Ten play, and 23rd in the AP Top 25. They're a strong team, but they didn't make a strong case that they're more than that in their 34-16 loss to No. 1 Ohio State this past week.
Senior quarterback Luke Altmyer ended the team's first possession against the Buckeyes with an interception–the first of three turnovers Illinois would commit in that game. They didn't score their first points until David Olano converted a 24-yard field goal with about a minute left to play in the first half, cutting the Buckeyes' lead at the time to 20-3. Ohio State opened the third quarter with two touchdown drives; Illinois matched them with one, but fumbled the next possession away. The two teams weren't far off in terms of total yards or first downs, but Illinois hurt themselves badly between their three turnovers and two more failed fourth-down conversions.
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Altmyer completed 30 of 44 passes for 248 yards in the game, averaging a 68.2 completion percentage and 5.6 yards per attempt. He vastly outthrew his previous season-high of 31 pass attempts against Duke, but he only found the endzone once and didn't complete a pass for more than a 20-yard gain. Illinois ranks 40th in passing yards per game (264.4) among FBS teams and only 112th in rushing yards (118.7). The group should look better against a Washington team that allows 234.9 passing yards per game–over 100 more than the Buckeyes, who rank third in the FBS (131.3).
How will Washington recover after Michigan loss?
The Washington Huskies are coming off a loss to Michigan this past week that they'll want to forget, falling 24-7 after committing three turnovers in a game they entered as 4.5-point underdogs. The Wolverines racked up 417 yards while holding the Huskies to 249, didn't commit a turnover of their own, and averaged 4.7 yards on 40 rushing attempts. On the Huskies' side, Jonah Coleman gained 50 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, but the team averaged 1.7 yards per attempt on the ground overall.
Sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr. had his worst game of the season, throwing three interceptions and losing 19 yards on a pair of sacks. He completed 20 of 32 passes for 209 yards, averaging a 62.5 completion percentage and 6.5 yards per attempt, and failed to log a run of ten yards or more for the first time this season. A step back was expected after he threw for 402 yards in the team's win over Rutgers and was productive on a season-high 41 pass attempts in the win over Maryland. He wasn't expected to have worse numbers against Michigan than he did in the team's home game against No. 1 Ohio State weeks ago, when he completed a higher percentage of his passes for more yards per attempt and didn't turn the ball over.
Washington ranks 33rd among 136 FBS teams in passing yards per game (269.6), as well as 57th in rushing yards (167.6), 34th in points (34.6), and T-37th in points allowed (20.3). They'll be back home to host No. 23 Illinois after last week's disappointing road loss.
Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Washington Pick
Spread Pick for Illinois vs. Washington
- Illinois +4.5 (-115) (4 Units)
Playing this game at their home field, on the West Coast, is an advantage for the Huskies. I don't think it's enough of an advantage to merit them being 4.5-point favorites against Illinois, who looked significantly better than Washington last week in a loss to a superior opponent. Altmyer threw his first interception of the season last week in the Ohio State loss–he isn't the type of quarterback that'll blow up and dig his team into a worse hole if Washington takes a lead in this game. Illinois is 5-2 against the spread and they're ranked for a reason–if they don't win this game outright, I'd still expect them to keep it close.
Over/Under Pick for Illinois vs. Washington
- Under 54.5 (-110) (Units)
The Team Total Under is 4-0 in the Huskies' games since they opened their conference schedule, and they haven't allowed more than 24 points to an opponent all season. The Illini have been part of several higher-scoring games this season, but they've also been part of two that went under the point total with pregame lines at 51.0–including last week's 34-16 loss to Ohio State. Illinois has a good offense, but I'm not betting on them to break a 24-point ceiling that Ohio State and Michigan didn't get through. Washington is also tough at home, allowing just 104.2 yards rushing and 229 yards passing per game. Rain is also in the forecast for Seattle, which means the passing offenses could be limited.
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