No. 8 Nebraska Cornhuskers at No. 7 Wisconsin Badgers
Saturday, 10/1/11, 8:00 PM EST, TV: ABC
Opening Point Spread: Wisconsin -8
Current Betting Line: Wisconsin -10
Opening Total: 57.5
Current Total: 55
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Nebraska makes a historic trip this week to Madison to take on the Wisconsin Badgers in the program’s first-ever Big Ten Conference game. “Everybody on this team has something to prove,” commented Cornhuskers quarterback Taylor Martinez. “We’re ready to shock the world.” This particular contest is the fourth matchup in college football between top 10 teams this year. Nebraska is 4-0 on the season following a 38-14 win over the Wyoming Cowboys as 20.5-point road favorites. It served as the team’s first spread victory of the season. Nebraska is 3-0 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points, while the ‘under’ is 3-0 in those games.
The Cornhuskers will be meeting up with the Badgers for the first time since 1974, with the team holding a 3-2 edge in the all-time series. Nebraska rushed for a season-high 333 yards last week, improving to 14-0 the past two seasons when rushing for at least 200 yards. The team is 21-2 under current head coach Bo Pelini when going over that total. Playing on the road is definitely a strength for the team, posting an 11-4 mark under Pelini, including wins in nine of its last 10 tries outside of Lincoln.
Wisconsin will be hosting the first game inside Camp Randall Stadium featuring two top-10 teams for the first time since 1962. The Badgers have won their last 11 regular-season games, which is the longest streak for the school since winning 13-straight during head coach Bret Bielema’s first two seasons. Offensively, the team has won their last seven regular-season games by an average of 44.4 points. Wisconsin is also a dominating 27-3 in its last 30 night games, including a 9-2 record in its last 11 inside tonight’s venue. Over the last two-plus campaigns, Wisconsin is 10-6 ATS versus conference opponents.
The Badgers lead the Big Ten in both scoring offense and scoring defense. Wisconsin and Stanford are the only two teams in the country that rank among the top 10 in both categories. Running backs Montee Ball and James White continue to be a dynamic duo in coming for 663 yards on 108 carries and 12 touchdowns. Both have seen plenty of daylight in the running game due to quarterback Russell Wilson keeping opponents honest in the passing game. He ranks second in the country in passing efficiency and is fifth in completion percentage. During his time at NC State and now with Wisconsin, he has thrown a touchdown pass in 28 consecutive games.
Bettors will likely back the Cornhuskers due to their 5-0 ATS mark as an underdog, while the Badgers are just 4-4 ATS in October.
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