Michigan vs Wisconsin Opening Odds – Badgers Surprising Small 1.5-Point Home Favorites Against Wolverines

• Wisconsin has opened as a small home favorite against Michigan at noon ET Saturday
• Michigan is 4-0 straight up and 3-1 ATS after hanging on to beat Rutgers; Wisconsin is 1-2 straight up and ATS after a lopsided loss to Notre Dame
• See the opening odds and spread below

Now-unranked Wisconsin has opened as a small 1.5-point favorite against #14 Michigan at Camp Randall Stadium, noon pm ET on Saturday.

The  Wolverines are 4-0 straight up and 3-1 ATS after surviving a sluggish second half in a 20-13 home victory over Rutgers on Saturday.

No. 18 Wisconsin has struggled to score against the two ranked teams it has faced this season, falling 16-10 at home to Penn State in the season opener and a 41-13 loss to Notre Dame in Chicago last week.

Michigan vs Wisconsin Opening Odds

*Odds from FanDuel on Sept. 26th

Michigan has never trailed in its four victories, the first time that has happened since 1973. Wisconsin has lost six straight regular-season games to ranked teams.

Wolverines on a Roll

Michigan took a 20-3 halftime lead over Rutgers before stalling in the second half, but the Wolverines had enough to withstand Rutgers’ RPO  attack for a 20-13 victory, their fourth straight

Michigan opened the game with a 14-play, 74-yard drive capped by the first of Hassan Haskins’ two touchdown runs, and quarterback Cade McNamara threw for 156 yards in the first half before the Wolves went flat. They had 42 yards in the second and held on when Rutgers missed a field goal midway with nine minutes left and lost a fumble on its final possession.

Junior McNamara who has begun his career with 124 consecutive pass attempts without an interception, had seven yards in the second half.

Michigan linebacker Josh Ross left the Rutgers game in the third quarter with what was described as a stinger, but coach Jim Harbaugh said Ross should be available against Wisconsin. Ross had six tackles, two for a loss.

Badgers’ Struggling Offense

One-dimensional Wisconsin again struggled to make plays in the passing game when No. 12 Notre Dame stacked the box to contain the Badgers’ potent rushing attack in the Irish’s 41-13 victory Saturday.

Wisconsin sophomore quarterback Graham Mertz was generally ineffective, completing 18 of 41 passes for 240 yards with one touchdown pass (his first of the season) and four interceptions. Two of the picks were returned for touchdowns in the final three minutes. The Badgers were 1 of 14 on third-down conversions.
https://youtu.be/lKW1qsS1hGc

Mertz often delivered the ball late and threw into coverage; his first interception, forced to a receiver who was not open, helped Notre Dame to its first touchdown and a 10-3 lead late in the first half.

The Badgers, who rushed for 352 yards in a 34-7 victory over Eastern Michigan on Sept 11, had 78 yards in 28 carries against Notre Dame. Mertz is 54 of 95 for 566 yards, one touchdown and six interceptions this season.

By the Numbers

Wisconsin has won the last two in the series, including a 49-11 blowout in Ann Arbor last season, and five of the last last. The Badgers are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings in the series. They have lost their last five Big Ten game and are 1-4 ATS since its big win at Michigan last year.

The Wolverines are 10-14 straight up under coach Jim Harbaugh when they and their opponent are ranked. OR Michigan in 39-4 in a game where only one team is ranked. The Badgers have not been a home underdog since 2016, when they covered the 10.5-point spread in a 30-23 overtime loss to Ohio State.

Given Wisconsin’s struggles against ranked teams, and its passing game woes in particular this season, the line could skew further toward the road team as the week progresses.