← Matchups

Northwestern (IA)

· 0-1 · power -12.3 · #322

Our numberWIU -5.3 ~~no book has priced this game~~

Western Illinois

· 1-2 · power -9.9 · #294

Final NORT 14 · WIU 65 ML L our logged sides, graded on the record

Our side

MoneylineNORT to win logged live now: WIU to win — the pick stands, the number moved · ours 62%

Our number: NORT by 5.2 — NORT to win.

Projected score 29–34 NORT – WIU

2026-08-27 · 7:00 PM Hanson Field · Macomb, IL Early season

The books

No book has priced this game. Nothing to compare, and no ticket to build.

First recorded meeting between these programs

2025 unit ranks — last completed season, from games actually played

Western Illinois Leathernecks Balanced · 46% run Ball-control

Ranked by team-unit strength (rush & pass offense vs. run & pass defense) across all D1 D1 teams, not by individual players. Identity, tempo and unit strength are measured from the 2025 season.

The evidence 2025 production and power ratings · supporting the number above

Who carried each team in 2025

Northwestern (IA) Red Raiders

No graded players for this team in 2025.

Western Illinois Leathernecks

LB Nick Reinicke 18 tkl · 1.0 sacks · 1.0 TFL #57 LB

DB Aa'zoriyon Bonner 9 tkl · 1 PD #170 DB

DB Jouvenson Romulus 9 tkl · 1 INT #376 DB

DB Brayden Hapner 8 tkl · 2 PD #458 DB

Top-rated players from last season, ranked within their position across D1. A grade measures what a player produced, and no 2026 game has been played yet — so this is who produced for these programs in 2025, not a claim about who is on the field this year.

Power breakdown

Team	Power	Off	Def	Rank
Northwestern (IA) Red Raiders	-12.3	-3.5	-8.8	#322
Western Illinois Leathernecks	-9.9	-1.1	-8.8	#294

Def is higher = better. The projection assumes a 2.4-pt home edge (0 at neutral sites).

Where the number comes from

Northwestern (IA) offense vs Western Illinois defense+5.3 pts

Western Illinois offense vs Northwestern (IA) defense+7.7 pts

An efficiency adjustment from season-to-date EPA and success rate applies once teams have played enough games; before then it is 0 and the number is the power rating alone.