Can the Badgers pull off the impossible on Saturday evening?
Fresh off a much-needed bye week, the Wisconsin Badgers are set to face off against the No. 1 Oregon Ducks on Saturday evening, with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. at Camp Randall Stadium.
The Badgers, standing at 5-4, struggled in their last game, losing a 42-10 matchup to the Iowa Hawkeyes in their most disappointing outing of the year back in Week 10.
Meanwhile, the Ducks have started the year 10-0, beating each of their last opponents by at least three touchdowns.
What are all of the odds ahead of the game?
Odds(via FanDuel)
Prediction
It has been a crazy weekend in Madison, with the basketball team pulling off the 103-88 victory over the Arizona Wildcats on Friday evening. Does Wisconsin have one more surprise they can pull off?
Looking at the matchup, the Badgers just have a tough, all-around opponent with the Ducks. Offensively, Oregon is extremely explosive in the air, while they have a group of talented running backs led by Jordan James.
Defensively, they have a good front, headlined by defensive ends Matayo Uiagalelei and Jordan Burch, while cornerback Jabbar Muhammad is an NFL player in the secondary.
Honestly, the spread seems a little low, given how dominant Oregon has been over the past few weeks and how inconsistent the Badgers have looked. The hope is that Wisconsin finds a way to hold the perimeter enough without top receiver Tez Johnson against a talented quarterback, keeping it close, but Oregon has several different avenues of offense that make it tough to sustain that approach.
If the Badgers want a chance, Braedyn Locke will have to be on his A game, which means connecting on a few deep shots while not turning the football over. I don’t see that happening against a tough defense, while Oregon’s offense could run away with the game early, making Wisconsin one-dimensional.
Prediction: Oregon -13.5
Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See fanduel.com/sportsbook for details.