The forecast calls for potential rain when Purdue travels to Evanston to play Northwestern. How could that impact Saturday's game?

The Wildcats are suddenly 4-2 with a shot to be a sleeper, but the Boilermakers have been a pesky out. Here’s our Purdue vs Northwestern preview and prediction.

Pregame analysis and predictions of the Purdue Boilermakers vs. Northwestern Wildcats NCAAF game to be played on October 18, 2025 on ESPN.

Purdue (2-4) is searching for its first Big Ten win and Northwestern (4-2) is coming off a massive victory over Penn State. The two teams clash this weekend.

Looking ahead a month ago, Northwestern was supposed to be a favorable matchup for Purdue. Now, the Wildcats are on a three-game winning streak.

Things have been tough out there on the football field for the Purdue Boilermakers as they’ve dropped four straight games including their most recent loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers in a game that they had in hand for the majority of the game.

It's been a long time since Purdue last defeated a Big Ten opponent. Can the Boilermakers end that, and other ugly streaks, this weekend against Northwestern?

Preview the Oct. 18 matchup between Northwestern and Purdue, including betting odds, trends, and game information.

A sense of steadiness surrounds Northwestern right now, something that hasn’t been true for the better part of three years. The Wildcats’ stunning 22-21 win at Penn State gave them their third straight victory and a chance to make a real statement back home on the lakefront.