Wisconsin vs. Middle Tennessee: Game info, odds & predictions
The Badgers look to improve to 2-0 on the young season as they host Middle Tennessee, who lost to FCS Austin Peay last week.
It’s been nine days between Wisconsin football games, but it felt like an eternity. The Badgers had a mini bye-week after playing last Thursday night. They take the field this afternoon against the Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders are coming off a disastrous loss to Austin Peay, an FCS school that finished just 4-8 last season.
The Badgers enter this game as huge favorites and should head into Week 3 against Alabama with a 2-0 record. But we all know the phrase ‘trap game.’ Wisconsin cannot overlook Middle Tennessee, no matter how bad they are, to keep an eye on the Crimson Tide next Saturday.
So let’s get into the game information, betting odds, and my prediction for the outcome of tonight’s tilt with the RedHawks from the Miami of the Midwest.
Game Information
Where: Camp Randall Stadium - Madison, WI
When: 3:00 PM CT
How to watch: FS1
Stream: FS1 Live
Listen: Badger Radio Network
Weather at kickoff: 60° (Feels like 58°) - mostly cloudy - 10 mph wind
Betting Odds
To give you an idea of how the Badgers-Blue Raiders 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 Middle Tennessee as 28.5-point favorites (-28.5). The odds that the Badgers cover the 28.5-point spread are -110, meaning you would have to bet $110 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 -10,000 to win the game outright, meaning you’d need to bet $10,000 to win $100. Middle Tennessee, on the other hand, is +3,000, meaning if you bet $100 on the RedHawks to win, you’d win $3,000 if they won.
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 over at -115. The under 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 afternoon, ESPN gives the Badgers a 97.3% chance to beat the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders.
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 Middle Tennessee.
Matchup History
This will be the first-ever meeting between the Badgers and Blue Raiders. Middle Tennessee joined the FBS level just 2013, so there haven’t been many opportunities for the Badgers to face off with the Blue Raiders.
What I’m Looking For & Game Prediction
I’m looking for defensive domination. The defense shut down and shut out Miami (OH) last week, even with their dynamic quarterback, holding the RedHawks to just 117 total yards. The Blue Raiders are coming off a bad loss to FCS Austin Peay, which has not been a very good program even at the FCS level, putting up just 14 points.
But mostly what I want to see is progress on the offensive side of the ball. This is an opponent they should be able to dominate. I want to see them get the running game going and get backup quarterback Danny O’Neil in a nice throwing rhythm, and get comfortable within the offense before the Alabama game.
The offensive line needs to be set before the trip to Tuscaloosa as well. If there was ever a game on the Badgers’ schedule to try different players at left tackle, and what the best lineup is, it’s this game. Try different players and make sure Davis Heinzen is the best player at left tackle before they face one of the tougher opponents on their schedule on the road.
I think Wisconsin will win this one handily. Even with a backup quarterback and a new offense still being learned, I don’t see the Blue Raiders putting up much of a fight. The only thing that could make the score look closer than it should is if the Badgers try some things offensively to make sure they are as prepared as possible for the coming game at Alabama, rather than running the score up.
Wisconsin 42 - Middle Tennessee 3
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