Expert Pick: Cornhuskers vs. Badgers Prediction ATS

Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-5 SU, ATS 4-6) vs Wisconsin Badgers (5-5 SU, ATS 3-5-1)
Date: Saturday, November 18th
Location: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
TV: NBC
Point Spread: Nebraska +5.5/Wisconsin -5.5
Money Line: Nebraska +173/Wisconsin -215
Over/Under: 37

The Nebraska Cornhuskers and Wisconsin Badgers matchup in a Big Ten showdown at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, WI. The over/under for this matchup is currently 37, while Wisconsin is favored by -5.5.

Head-to-Head Matchup:

The most recent time Wisconsin and Nebraska met up, Wisconsin walked away with a 15-14 win. Offensively, Wisconsin ran for 235 yards and put up 83 in the passing game. On the other side, Nebraska ended the game with 171 yards of offense.

Nebraska Cornhuskers Recent Form:

After losing their most recent game to Maryland, the Cornhuskers have returned to a .500 record and are heading into this week’s matchup with a 5-5 record.

The betting lines going into the game were 42.5 on the over/under and Nebraska as 2-point underdogs. As they combined for 23 points, this was a hit for the under, and Nebraska was handed an ATS loss.

Against Maryland, Jeff Sims threw for 62 yards against Maryland, but did throw a touchdown pass. Overall, his passer rating was 33.65 on a completion percentage of 61.5%.

Emmett Johnson took the ball 17 times and led the team with 84 rushing yards, though he did not manage to find the endzone on the ground in the game against Maryland. Leading Nebraska in receiving against Maryland was Billy Kemp IV. Although he didn’t catch a touchdown pass, he finished with 30 yards on two receptions.

On defense, Nebraska finished their game against Maryland by giving up a total of 384 yards. Maryland threw the ball 40 times for 283 vs. Nebraska. While on the ground, the Cornhuskers gave up 101 rushing yards. Ranked 109th in passing yards allowed per game, Nebraska’s defense gets ready to take on Wisconsin. Opponents have attempted an average of 35.6 passes per game against the Cornhuskers. They’re allowing 18.2 points per contest, placing them 62nd in college football. Their rush defense ranks 8th in the NCAA.

Away Injury Report

Wisconsin Badgers Recent Form:

Northwestern dealt the Badgers a recent loss, causing them to drop back to a .500 record. They are now getting ready for this week’s game with a 5-5 record.

The over/under line for the matchup was 43.5, resulting in a hit for the under. Against the spread, Wisconsin was tagged with the L, as they were favored by 10.5.

Tanner Mordecai finished with 255 yards against Northwestern while going 31 for 45 for a completion percentage of 68.9%. He ended the game without a rushing or passing touchdown.

Cade Yacamelli took the ball nine times and led the team with 47 rushing yards, though he did not manage to find the endzone on the ground in the game against Northwestern. Leading Wisconsin in receiving against Northwestern was Will Pauling. Although he didn’t catch a touchdown pass, he finished with 96 yards on 10 receptions.

The Badgers’ defense finished the game by giving up 326 total yards to Northwestern. The team’s run defense allowed 131 yards rushing compared to 195 in the passing game. The Wisconsin defense, going into this week’s game, holds 69th place for points allowed, allowing 19.6 points per game. Opponents have been gaining an average of 198.1 passing yards each game against them (49th in the country). On the ground, they’re yielding 136.1 rushing yards, ranking them 59th in college football.

Home Injury Report

Betting Trends

• When playing on the road, Nebraska has an ATS mark of 4-5 vs. the spread.
• Wisconsin is 4-6 in their last ten home games.
• Wisconsin’s ATS record in their five most recent games as an underdog is 3-2.
• Over their last five games as the betting favorite, Nebraska has an ATS record of 1-4.

Free Pick

The Cornhuskers’ defense is their stronghold, limiting all but Michigan to under 20 points in their last eight games and keeping nine of ten opponents below 101 rushing yards. Despite offensive struggles and QB Haarberg’s uncertain status, they don’t need much to stay competitive, possibly even winning outright. Wisconsin’s offense has been tepid, exceeding 14 points only twice in six games. Nebraska’s rush defense, fourth in the nation for yards allowed and per carry, is a significant asset. Taking the points with Nebraska’s defense-centric approach seems a wise move.