Northwestern Wildcats vs Wisconsin Badgers Matchup

Check out our free Wisconsin Badgers vs Northwestern Wildcats pick and preview for this CFB week 8 game in Evanston. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this week 8 CFB matchup.

Coming into this week eight matchup, the Wisconsin Badgers are favored at -7 on the road as they take on the Northwestern Wildcats. Kick-off is set for 12:00 ET at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium in Evanston, with BTN handling the broadcast. The over/under line is currently at 41.5 points. Wisconsin has a 4-2 record, while Northwestern is 3-3 on the season.

Badgers vs. Wildcats Matchup At A Glance

Sport: CFB
Teams: Wisconsin Badgers at Northwestern Wildcats
Where: Evanston at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium
Date: Saturday, October 19th
Betting Odds WISC -7, WISC -277 | NW +223 O/U 41.5

Badgers Preview:

Wisconsin enters Week 8 with a 4-2 record, ranked 28th in our power rankings. They have an 85% chance of becoming bowl-eligible but just a 0.7% chance of winning the Big Ten. The Badgers are 2-1 at home and 1-1 on the road this season.

Wisconsin’s average scoring margin is +10 points per game, and they are 2-3 against the spread. They’ve been favored in two games, going 1-1 ATS as the favorite and 1-2 as the underdog.

Their over/under record is 4-1, with an average line of 48.5 points. This week’s line is 41.5 points, the lowest they’ve seen this season. Wisconsin games have averaged 50 points per contest.

Badgers Offense Breakdown

Wisconsin’s offense is averaging 30 points per game heading into week 8, placing them 42nd in the nation. They are ranked 69th in our offensive power rankings. Their rushing game is their strength, with 40 attempts per game, averaging 193.5 yards, ranking 37th nationally. Tawee Walker leads the team with 439 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 5 yards per carry. They have converted 45.1% of their third downs, ranking 30th in the country.

Quarterback Braedyn Locke has thrown for 904 yards this season, and Wisconsin is 78th in passing yards per game. Locke has six touchdowns and four interceptions, with a passer rating of 88. Vinny Anthony II leads the receivers with 287 yards and two touchdowns on 11 catches.

Badgers Team Defense

Wisconsin's defense is coming off a strong performance, allowing just 7 points in their recent game against Rutgers. They gave up 271 total yards, including 168 rushing yards on 35 attempts and 103 passing yards, while also forcing an interception.

For the season, Wisconsin ranks 28th nationally, allowing 20 points per game. Opponents are averaging 142.8 rushing yards per game and 168.2 passing yards, which ranks 23rd in the country.

Wildcats Preview:

Wisconsin’s average scoring margin is +10 points per game, and they are 2-3 against the spread. They’ve been favored in two games, going 1-1 ATS as the favorite and 1-2 as the underdog.

Their over/under record is 4-1, with an average line of 48.5 points. This week’s line is 41.5 points, the lowest they’ve seen this season. Wisconsin games have averaged 50 points per contest.

Wildcats Offense Breakdown

Northwestern’s offense has struggled this season, averaging just 21.7 points per game, which ranks 112th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 8. Their passing game has been inconsistent, with a passer rating of 73, placing them 120th nationally. Jack Lausch, their leading passer, has thrown for 726 yards with a 53.5% completion rate, recording four touchdowns and two interceptions.

The Wildcats are 109th in passing yards per game, averaging 180 yards, and they convert only 28.9% of their third-down attempts. On the ground, they average 120.3 rushing yards per game. Cam Porter leads the rushing attack with 272 yards and five touchdowns. Bryce Kirtz has 391 receiving yards on 25 catches but has yet to score a touchdown.

Wildcats Team Defense

Northwestern's defense has been strong against the run, ranking 11th nationally by allowing just 89.5 rushing yards per game. In their recent game against Maryland, they gave up only 59 rushing yards on 33 attempts. The secondary, however, has struggled, ranking 135th by allowing 261.2 passing yards per game, including 296 yards against Maryland, though they did manage to secure an interception.

On average, opposing quarterbacks have completed 63.5% of their passes and hold a passer rating of 90.7 against Northwestern’s defense. Despite these challenges, Northwestern ranks 23rd in the nation, allowing just 19 points per game.

Badgers vs Wildcats Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their last five road contests, Wisconsin has a 3-2 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 2-3, while averaging 27 points per game.
Through their last ten home contests, the Northwestern Wildcats offense has averaged 16 points per game while allowing an average of 24. Northwestern posted an overall record of 3-7 while going 5-5 ATS.
Going back to their last ten games as the underdog, the Northwestern Wildcats have a straight up record of 5-5. But, their mark vs the spread was just 7-3.
Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Wisconsin Badgers have gone 5-5 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 7-3.