Pick details
| MATCHUP | Western Illinois Leathernecks | Wisconsin Badgers |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 1-1 | 0-1 |
| Where | Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI | |
| When | Saturday, September 12, 2026 | |
| Time | 07:15 PM EDT | |
| TV | BTN | |
Wisconsin Badgers Preview
The Wisconsin Badgers have a 0-1 record and are coming off a 13-41 loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, where they were outgained 350-284 yards. Wisconsin had 217 passing yards, 67 rushing yards, and 19/30 completed passes. They were 5/13 on third down, had 6-43 penalties, and lost the turnover battle by 2-0.
Colton Joseph led Wisconsin with 19/30 passes and 217 passing yards. Abu Sama III had a team-high 49 rushing yards, while Malachi Coleman caught 4 passes for a team-high 76 receiving yards. Defensively, Mason Posa led the Badgers with 15 total tackles, 5 of them solo, and Sebastian Cheeks led the team with one sack.
Western Illinois Leathernecks Preview
The Western Illinois Leathernecks have a 1-1 record and are coming off a 10-41 home loss to Illinois State, where they were outgained 496-315 yards and had 63 total plays. Western Illinois had 263 passing yards, 52 rushing yards, and 23/40 completed passes. They were 4/15 on third down, had 10-76 penalties, and the turnover battle was tied at 1-1.
Cason Carswell led Western Illinois with 9/18 passes and 140 passing yards. Josh Robinson had a team-high 22 rushing yards, while Christian Anaya caught 4 passes for a team-high 78 receiving yards. Defensively, Nick Reinicke led the Leathernecks with 9 total tackles, 5 of them solo, and Nick Reinicke led the team with one sack.
Western Illinois Leathernecks @ Wisconsin Badgers Betting Trends: Week 2
Why the Wisconsin Badgers will win
- Wisconsin has won 25 of its last 29 September games against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Wisconsin has covered the spread in four of its last five games against teams from Illinois.
- Wisconsin has won the first half in 12 of its last 14 games against non-conference opponents at Camp Randall Stadium.
Why the Western Illinois Leathernecks will win
- Wisconsin has lost five of its last six games in September.
- Wisconsin has failed to cover the spread in six of its last seven games against non-conference opponents.
- Wisconsin has lost the first half in 10 of its last 11 games.
Total Points Facts
- Nine of Wisconsin’s last 10 games have gone UNDER the total points line.
Wisconsin Badgers Player Prop Facts
- Heading into Week 2, Grant Stec ranks T1st amongst qualified players for catch rate (100.0%) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- Wisconsin ranks T1st among FBS teams for 4th down conversion percentage this season (100.0).
- Wisconsin ranks T1st among FBS teams for red zone percentage this season (100.0).
Western Illinois vs Wisconsin Prediction
In this Western Illinois vs Wisconsin Prediction, Wisconsin is coming as -38.5 home favorites. Both teams are coming off defeats in their previous games and they both had terrible offensive performances, scoring just 13 and 10 points respectively. Wisconsin was playing mostly lower-scoring games last season and it was 2-10 to the under, while Western Illinois’ three of its last four games last season had less than today’s total of 49 points. I don’t expect both offenses to suddenly figure things out, so I expect a low-scoring grind. Take the under in this one.
Nikos Lagouretos's Pick: Under 49
