Very few people expect Western Michigan to go into Camp Randall and shock the world on Friday night, but can the Badgers really cover over a 3-TD spread in the season opener? We’re fairly used to seeing blowout victories in week 1 in the past, but in this age of the transfer portal and reduced practices teams have a lot of adjusting to do early in a season.
Before Betting on Week 1 Western Michigan vs Wisconsin
This should be a grind it out game as both teams aim to run the ball. Western Michigan will feature sophomore RB Jalen Buckley, who was the MAC Freshman of the Year in 2023 after a 1,003 yard season on the ground. Wisconsin had been known for their defense in recent years, but they had a downturn in 2023 giving up 134.8 ypg rushing – which isn’t bad, but isn’t the Badger standard.
Lance Taylor enters his second year with the Broncos and he’s going to need his defense to be better after ranking 83rd in the nation in total yards/game allowed (393.3) in 2023. WMU did lose a defensive lineman to the 2nd round of the NFL draft (Marshawn Kneeland – Cowboys) but they brought in some Power 5 replacements in Popeye Williams and Rodney McGraw as well as Anterio Thompson who is familiar with Wisconsin from his time at Iowa.
As they did with Tanner Mordecai last season, Wisconsin will start a transfer QB in their season opener as Tyler Van Dyke comes to Madison via the Miami Hurricanes. The Senior is experienced with 32 games under his belt, and he’s improved his completion percentage each season up to 65.8 in 2023.
Wisconsin doesn’t rebuild at RB, they reload as Braelon Allen is off to the NFL only to be replaced by Chez Mellusi, entering his sixth college season and third with the Badgers. Mellusi averaged 6.0 yards/carry last year, but injuries limited him as they done frequently. It’s the season opener though so Mellusi should be healthy. Wisconsin also returns three senior starters on their offensive line as well as senior transfer guard Joe Huber from Cincinnati.
Broncos vs Badgers Offshore Betting Odds
| Offshore Sportsbook | Moneyline | Total | Point Spread |
|---|---|---|---|
| BetOnline | WMU (12.50) | WISC (1.04) | 56 |
WMU +23.5 (1.96) | WISC -23.5 (1.86) |
| MyBookie | WMU (13.00) | WISC (1.02) | 56 | WMU +23.5 (1.91) | WISC -23.5 (1.91) |
| SportsBetting.ag | WMU (12.50) | WISC (1.04) | 56 | WMU +23.5 (1.96) | WISC -23.5 (1.86) |
| XBet | WMU (12.50) | WISC (1.04) | 56 | WMU +23.5 (1.91) | WISC -23.5 (1.91) |
Week 1 Western Michigan vs Wisconsin Prediction & Pick
Even though Wisconsin should be able to run the football with their experienced offensive line, what the big men are there to do up from is to protect Van Dyke as the Badgers are now more of a passing team with their “Air Raid” offense. Western Michigan simply doesn’t have the firepower to stick with Wisconsin who could hang 50+ here.
Pick: Wisconsin -23.5
-
Tags:
