Venue & Event Details
Location: McCully Stadium, Wheaton, Illinois
Kickoff: 12:00 PM CST
Broadcast: ESPN+ (live stats available via Wheaton Athletics)
Weather Forecast
Temperature: Mid-40s °F at kickoff, dropping into upper 30s by evening
Conditions: Cloudy skies, winds 10–15 mph
Impact: Passing efficiency may be challenged; rushing and short-yardage execution favored
Injury Report
Crown: QB and WR corps healthy; RB rotation intact after clinching UMAC title.
Wheaton: No major injuries reported; defensive line depth slightly thinned but starters available.
Key Player Matchups
Crown QB (2,100+ yards, 19 TDs) vs Wheaton Secondary: Polars rely on efficient passing, but Thunder defense ranks top-25 nationally in pass efficiency.
Wheaton QB (2,400+ yards, 22 TDs) vs Crown Defense: Thunder’s balanced offense will test Crown’s secondary, which allowed 27+ points in 3 of last 5 games.
RB Committees (both teams): Crown’s ground game vs Wheaton’s front seven ranked top-20 nationally in rush defense.
Recent Team Forms
Crown: Won 4 of last 5, including 35–21 vs Northwestern (MN) and 28–14 vs Greenville.
Wheaton: Won 3 of last 4, including 31–17 vs Illinois Wesleyan; only losses to North Central and Millikin.
Series History
First-ever meeting between Crown and Wheaton.
Betting Trends
Crown is 5–5 ATS this season.
Wheaton is 6–4 ATS.
Overs have hit in 3 of last 5 Wheaton games.
Historical Betting Results
CCIW teams are 10–2 vs UMAC teams in NCAA playoffs over the past decade.
Wheaton has covered in 4 of last 6 postseason games.
Crown makes its first-ever NCAA playoff appearance.
Prediction: Wheaton 34 – Crown 17
Game Odds
Crown Polars 52.5
Wheaton (IL) Thunder – 14.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, November 21, 2025
