Wisconsin football vs. Maryland: Game info, odds & predictions

Wisconsin enters conference play with what many consider 'a must win game' against the Maryland Terrapins.

Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Well last week was gross. The Wisconsin Badgers will look to cleanse their palate while entering conference play this week. As Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell states, “We know that the season really begins now,” in the Billy Edwards Jr. Bowl.

Sitting at 2-1 is hardly a surprise. In fact, I would argue that’s where every Badgers fan would say the Badgers would be sitting entering Week 4.

But after the lackluster performance in the blowout loss to Alabama, Luke Fickell’s name has been a topic of discussion around the college football community. Is he on the hot seat? Should he get another year if they miss a bowl game again? It sure seems like we are seeing the same old, same old Badgers of the past few years again this season. Nothing seems to have changed.

Quick thought: Wisconsin's loss to Alabama shows how far the Badgers are from being relevant

Fickell has a chance to quiet some of those voices with a convincing victory over Maryland this weekend and a 1-0 start in conference play.

Game Information

Where: Camp Randall Stadium - Madison, WI
When: 11:00 AM CT
How to watch: NBC
Stream: Peacock
Listen: Badger Radio Network
Weather at kickoff: 74°

Betting Odds

To give you an idea of how the Badgers-Terrapins matchup is viewed, I have the latest odds from FanDuel and the analytics from ESPN.

FanDuel Odds
According to the FanDuel sportsbook, the Badgers enter the game with Maryland as 10.5-point favorites (-10.5). The odds that the Badgers cover the 10.5-point spread are -105, meaning you would have to bet $105 to win $100.

The moneyline is where you can bet straight-up whether the Badgers will win or lose, regardless of the score. The Badgers are currently -360 to win the game outright, meaning you’d win $100 if you bet $360. Maryland, on the other hand, is +280, meaning you’d win $280 if you put $100 on the Terrapins.

The next odds that may be of interest are the over/under on the total points scored for the game. Right now, the over/under for the Wisconsin-Middle Tennessee game is set at 44.5 points. The odds right now are ‘juiced’ for the under at -115. The over is currently set at -105.

FanDuel also has a plethora of prop bets you can take a look at if you are interested in that.

ESPN Analytics

ESPN.com also provides a matchup predictor, giving each team a percentage chance to win the game.

For the game this morning, ESPN gives the Badgers a 69.1% chance to win the game.

Gard Your Fickell Analysis & Prediction

If you follow me on X (Twitter), odds are you follow or at least have seen some content from Gard Your Fickell (GYF). GYF does a ton of analytical work during football and basketball season that is super interesting and immediately makes you a smarter and more informed fan. If you don’t already, give him a follow.

Each week, he provides some analytics and a prediction for both teams in the upcoming Wisconsin football matchup. Here is his breakdown for the Badgers’ game this week against Maryland.

Gard Your Fickell has the Badgers as just 6.3-point favorites over the visiting Terrapins in a close, low-scoring matchup.

Looking at the numbers, I was surprised how close the Badgers and Terrapins were in each category. The Badgers have an edge offensively with positive passing and rushing EPAs, while Maryland is in the negative in both categories.

The Badgers also have a clear edge over Maryland in third and fourth-down conversions as well. This is a game the defense will hopefully use to rebound after a dismal performance last week in Tuscaloosa.

Matchup History

The Wisconsin-Maryland all-time series favors the Badgers, who are undefeated against the Terrapins in four meetings in program history.

The Badgers have outscored Maryland 144-54 in those games, averaging 36 points per game while yielding just 13.5 points per game. That’s an average winning margin of 22.5 points.

The largest margin of victory for the Badgers was in their first-ever meeting in 2014 when Wisconsin dominated the Terrapins in a 52-7 beatdown. The closest game between the two programs came a year later in 2015 when the Badgers won 31-24.

Wisconsin looks to extend its winning streak to five games against Maryland, which joined the Big Ten in 2014.

Wisconsin has largely been the more successful program of the two. Winspedia.com has compiled a chart comparing the histories of the two programs. Wisconsin has the edge in all but two categories: national championships and weeks spent as the No. 1 team.

What I’m Looking For & Game Prediction

After a disastrous game against Alabama, we need to see the Badgers bounce back with a convincing victory over what should be a lesser opponent at home.