2018 Preseason AP Poll: Wisconsin Higher On Rankings than on Odds Sheet
- The AP Preseason College Football Rankings came out today
- There’s a couple interesting points, but Wisconsin #4 is the most interesting
- How the betting market ranks Wisconsin
The preseason AP Poll came out today, and it’s something you should care about. It no longer affects the National Championship picture but it’s still the most authoritative preseason ranking.
The biggest surprise is that the AP listed the Wisconsin Badgers fourth, ahead of conference rival Ohio State. Someone even gave the Badgers a first-place vote, which is just incredible. Good for Wisconsin!
AP Poll vs Betting Odds
| AP Poll Rank | Team | Average Nat’l Championship Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | +180 |
| 2 | Clemson | +350 |
| 3 | Georgia | +725 |
| 4 | Wisconsin | +1850 |
| 5 | Ohio State | +780 |
| 6 | Washington | +1350 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | +1950 |
| 8 | Miami | +2300 |
| 9 | Auburn | +2650 |
| 10 | Penn State | +2150 |
As you can see, Wisconsin fits in somewhere after Ohio State on the odds sheet, but sneaks in ahead on the preseason rankings. It’s hard to imagine that Ohio State’s odds aren’t at least partially affected by the fact that head coach Urban Meyer may well be fired soon.
It’s also strange to see Michigan outside the top 10. Perhaps pollsters don’t want to give Michigan credit for securing Shea Patterson in quasi-free agency.
The transfer from Ole Miss could be the missing piece that the Wolverines need to finally win the Big Ten, and the betting market has Michigan at +1200 to win the national title.
Wisconsin National Championship Odds
For more National Championship Odds, see our National Championship Odds Tracker.
Wisconsin’s average odds have floated around +2000 the entire offseason, and they’re something of a hipster pick for the National Championship.
They’ve never made the four-team College Football Playoff and have not won the Big Ten since the Playoff was put in place. The Badgers are third in the Big Ten in average odds to win the national title, behind Ohio State and Michigan.
Wisconsin Rankings, Compiled
| Ranking System | Wisconsin Ranking |
|---|---|
| College Football Playoff Final Ranking (2017) | #6 |
| AP Poll Final Rankings (2017) | #7 |
| AP Poll Preseason Rankings (2018) | #4 |
| S&P+ Final Rankings (2017) | #6 |
| S&P+ Preseason Projection (2018) | #12 |
The AP Poll Preseason Rankings is the highest Wisconsin have been ranked by any system for a long time. Hopefully, Paul Chryst’s Badgers can live up to their high billing.
Alex studied political science in university but spent most of that time watching college football. He covered sports betting for SBD from 2017-2019. Avid tennis player, golf nut, and motorsports nerd.
