Western Michigan vs Wisconsin Prediction College Football Picks 8/30/24

Wisconsin Badgers Betting Preview

The Wisconsin Badgers went 7-6 (5-4) last year and they finished tied for second in the Big Ten West with Northwestern. Wisconsin won four of their first five games last year but did lose to Washington State by a score of 31-22. After that very solid start, the Badgers lost four of the next five games, scoring 14 points or fewer in all four losses. Wisconsin did win their last two games against Nebraska and Minnesota but lost the ReliaQuest Bowl against LSU by a score of 35-31. 

Wisconsin’s offense had a ton of issues last season, but they brought in Tyler Van Dyke from Miami to try and improve the passing game. The Badgers return Will Pauling at wide receiver, who led the team in receptions. Chez Mellusi is back at running back after getting hurt last year, but the offensive line needs to show improvement. Wisconsin’s defense was decent last season and I think they will be solid once again, but they aren’t going to be great like we are used to seeing over the past decade. 

Why Wisconsin will cover

• Western Michigan has lost each of its last eight games as an underdog.
• Wisconsin has won seven of its last eight season openers.
• Western Michigan has failed to cover the spread in each of its last five road openers as an underdog.
• The favorite has covered the spread in five of Western Michigan's last six games.
• Wisconsin has won the first half in five of its last six home games against non-conference opponents.

Why Western Michigan will cover

• Wisconsin has lost three of its last four home games.
• Wisconsin has failed to cover the spread in each of its last six home games against non-AP-ranked teams.
• The underdog has covered the spread in four of Wisconsin's last five games at Camp Randall Stadium.

Total Points Facts

• Five of Wisconsin's last six home games have gone UNDER the total points line.
• Four of Western Michigan's last five season openers have gone UNDER the total points line.

Matchup/League Facts

• Wisconsin ranked T16th among FBS teams for H2 win percentage last season (.692).
• Wisconsin was one of only 22 FBS teams with a better road winning percentage (.600) than home winning percentage (.571) last season (min. 8 games).

Western Michigan vs Wisconsin Prediction 

Wisconsin comes into this season trying to bounce back after a rough 2023 and we will see if the Badgers can improve on the offensive side of the football. Western Michigan also had a disappointing season last year and I think they are going to struggle at the line of scrimmage in this game. Wisconsin probably doesn’t trust that Wolff can continuously beat them over the top, so they are going to load the box and stop the run.

I also think the Wisconsin ground game will be a dominant force in this matchup, which should help chew the clock. I think we see Wisconsin do the majority of the scoring, while the Broncos struggle to move the ball. Take the under here.