Illinois Wesleyan's offense targets North Park's worst-ranked defense in the CCIW

The widest gap in this CCIW matchup sits on North Park's side of the ball: the Vikings carry the 113th-ranked defense in Division III, a number that lines up right against their No. 113 overall mark, while Illinois Wesleyan brings a B+ offense that ranks 60th nationally in D3. Versus projects that disparity to decide the game, with the Titans favored 36-18 and given an 85 percent chance to win at home.

Illinois Wesleyan enters with a 6-2 record and a divisional rank of 36, built on an A- defense and a power grade to match, part of what Versus notes is its best start since 2018 after a season-high climb to No. 11 earlier this year. North Park, at 2-6 and ranked 113th, has shown some fight this season, including an upset of a team 24 spots ahead of it, but a defense this far down the D3 rankings offers little resistance against a Titans offense playing at a higher level.

The game counts in the CCIW standings, and with Illinois Wesleyan projected to control the margin by 18 points, Versus sees this as one of the more lopsided conference matchups on the week 10 slate.