by Rod Pearson
Wednesday, Oct 05, 2022
Game Time: 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, October 8, 2022
Venue: Ryan Field, Evanston, IL
Where to Watch: Big Ten Network
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Wisconsin -10, NW +10; Over/Under: 44.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Wisconsin -10, NW +10; Over/Under: 44 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Wisconsin -10, NW +10; Over/Under: 44.5 points
Season Record
Wisconsin Badgers: 2-3 (0-2) (7th place, Big Ten West)
Northwestern Wildcats: 1-4 (1-1) (6th place, Big Ten West)
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Wisconsin Badgers: lost their last game at home against the Illinois Fighting Illini 34-10.
Northwestern Wildcats: lost their last game on the road against the Penn State Nittany Lions 17-7.
Wisconsin Badgers vs Northwestern Wildcats Preview and Analysis
Wisconsin is entering this game with a 2-3 record overall to start their college football season and they will be playing their 2nd road game of the season here as they are 0-1 in their road games this year. This will also be their 3rd conference game of the college football season this year as they are 0-2. They lost against the Illinois Fighting Illini in their last game at home 34-10. Graham Mertz started that game at QB and he completed 17/32 passes for 206 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. Chez Mellusi led the team in rushing with 16 yards on 7 rushing attempts. Chimere Dike led the team in receiving with 76 yards on 5 receptions. Jay Shaw led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 1 assisted tackle. Keeanu Benton led the defense in sacks with 2 while no one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
Northwestern is entering this game with a 1-4 record overall to start their college football season and they will be playing their 4th home game of the season as they are 0-3 in their home games this year. This will also be the 3rd conference matchup on their conference schedule this season as they are 1-1. They lost against the Penn State Nittany Lions in their last game on the road 17-7. Ryan Hilinski started that game at QB and he completed 15/37 passes for 210 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Evan Hull led the team in rushing with 45 yards on 11 carries. Donny Navarro led the team in receiving with 55 yards on 4 receptions. Cameron Mitchell led the defense in that game with 9 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles. Bryce Gallagher came away with the only interception for them while no one on the defense recorded a sack in that one.
Wisconsin vs Northwestern Prediction
The current betting odds have Wisconsin listed as a 10 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Wisconsin has been terrible in their games to start the season but this is a good game for them to bounce back in and get a conference win. They do not have a good offense and it has shown in their games as they can't keep up with teams that score a lot, but they do have a very good defense which has been keeping them in the games they won and they can really suffocate a team with a bad offense like Northwestern has. Northwestern does not have a very good team and they don't score a lot of points in their games either. They just put up 7 points in their last game and they will struggle to put points up on this Wisconsin defense. The Wisconsin offense has been really bad in their games but they have still put up a ton of points on some bad teams this year and this should be another team where they don't struggle to move the ball and put up points. The best way to place a bet here is on Wisconsin to cover the spread in this game.
Wisconsin Northwestern Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, October 8, 2022 (3:30 pm ET start time) is Wisconsin 28 Northwestern 10.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
Wisconsin Badgers: 2-7 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points. 2-9 ATS when the total is between 42.5 and 49. 24-13 UNDER off an upset loss to a conference rival as a favorite.
Northwestern Wildcats: 11-6 ATS as a home underdog of 7.5 to 10 points. 16-8 UNDER in all games. 10-2 UNDER in home games.
Key Injuries
Wisconsin Badgers: C. Cundiff (TE) out for season - Leg. T. Blaylock (S) out for season - Leg. C. Wolf (QB) out for season - Knee.
Northwestern Wildcats: C. Azema (DB) out for season - Undisclosed.
Notable Quotes
"Everyone's got to own it. Everyone's a part of this whole deal, so we've all got to be part of the solution." - Paul Chryst after his team’s loss against Illinois in their last game.
"That was the turning point in the game to be honest with you." - Pat Fitzgerald on a QB sneak play after his team’s loss against PSU in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Wisconsin Badgers
WR Dike, Chimere
WR Bell, Skyler
TE Rucci, Hayden
QB Mertz, Graham
RB Allen, Braelon
FB Acker, Jackson
Northwestern Wildcats
WR Washington, Malik
WR Kirtz, Bryce
WR Navarro III, Donny
TE Gordon, Thomas
QB Hilinski, Ryan
RB Hull, Evan
Statistical Leaders
Wisconsin Badgers
Passing: G. Mertz (997)
Rushing: B. Allen (499)
Receiving: C. Dike (257)
Touchdowns: B. Allen (6)
Northwestern Wildcats
Passing: R. Hilinski (1404)
Rushing: E. Hull (415)
Receiving: M. Washington (347)
Touchdowns: E. Hull (4)
Coaches:
Wisconsin Badgers: Paul Chryst (8th season)
Northwestern Wildcats: Pat Fitzgerald (17th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
