It’s almost time for Rutgers Football as the Scarlet Knights are home for the last time this season this weekend, welcoming the Illinois Fighting Illini to town.

That said, our staff here at The Knight Report makes their predictions for the showdown between the two programs on Saturday afternoon.

RICHIE O’LEARY — Rutgers: 20 || Illinois: 17

I have a feeling this game will be exactly what fans see when they look up Big Ten Football in the dictionary. It’s going to be boring, it’s going to be ugly and it’s going to be low-scoring football.

This one boils down to the fact that the same Rutgers that showed up the last two weeks could show up this week and make life uncomfortable for Altmyer. If they can do that, I’m confident they can force a turnover and make some things happen on offense to pick out the ugly win.

CRAIG ESTEIN— Illinois: 27 || Rutger: 21

If you asked me two weeks ago who I thought would win this game, I probably would have said Illinois without hesitation. However, the Scarlet Knights seemingly got their season back on track with wins over Minnesota and Maryland. Now the question becomes whether they can beat a ranked team for the first time since 2009.

As the week went on, this game felt more and more like a real toss-up, but I’m going to lean on history here and say Rutgers comes up just a little short. Illinois is a balanced attack both offensively and defensively, as QB Luke Altmeyer leads the Big Ten in touchdown to interception ratio with 18 TDs and three picks. The Illini defense also leads the league in sacks in conference play (3.14).

Rutgers will likely have to fire on all cylinders to come out of this game with a win. While that has become a more realistic possibility after watching the last two games, I think the Scarlet Knights will take a step back this week and leave the door open a bit for Illinois.

MIKE BROADBENT — Rutgers: 27 || Illinois: 20

Rutgers can set a winning record on the season with a win over the Illini Saturday. Offensively, Rutgers is able to take advantage of a porous run defense (112th in PFF team run defense grade) and Kyle Monangai surpasses 100 yards rushing for the first time in more than a month.

Defensively, Rutgers can continue its hot streak and pressure Luke Altmyer all day, forcing three sacks and an interception by Shaquon Loyal.

ALEC CROUTHAMEL — Rutgers: 26 || Illinois: 20

I’ve been burned several times this season by not trusting my gut – which says Illinois comes in and wins in the trenches against a bloated offensive line – but I’ve learned absolutely nothing and I’m going to do it again!

Despite being two starters down on the line, the Scarlet Knights’ offense is currently rolling, led by the efficiency of Athan Kaliakmanis who takes the route below and also pushes the ball down the field. Combined with the fact that Kyle Monangai continues to turn the legs forward, this offense has become a legitimate weapon.

The demise of the defense is also greatly exaggerated, and they’re going up against a weaker Illinois offensive line than you’d expect from a Bret Bielema-coached team. If Rutgers can put pressure on Luke Altmeyer, they can force him into some mistakes and take the ball away, something they have done better in the turnaround since the bye game.

In a battle of similar styles, the Scarlet Knights enter with high momentum after clinching bowl eligibility with two straight wins. They make it three in another grind-it-out, classic Big Ten rock battle.