The Minnesota Golden Gophers take on the Wisconsin Badgers this week in a game that will feature the Big 10’s third-leading receiver, Alex Erickson (858 yards, 3 TDs). Recent weeks haven’t given Minnesota (5-6) much hope, as it has been on the losing end of four of its last five. The game starts at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Nov 28 and will be available on BTN and BTN2.
In last week’s matchup, Minnesota defeated Illinois 32-23. Shannon Brooks had a huge game running the ball in the victory, rushing 17 times for 174 yards and three TDs. Wisconsin is hoping for a different outcome after losing to Northwestern 13-7. Jazz Peavy had a quality performance for the Badgers, pulling in five receptions for 88 yards.
Wisconsin is a slender two-point favorite as they take on the Golden Gophers.
Sitting at 5-6 Straight Up (SU) and 6-5 Against The Spread (ATS), the Golden Gophers will look to improve heading into Week 13. Minnesota has one of the worst win-loss records over the last five games (1-4), yet it still outplays expectations, going an impressive 4-1 ATS. Minnesota has made opposing defenses pay lately, averaging 257.6 passing yards per game over the last five weeks, higher than its season average of 213.4 yards. During their last five games, the Golden Gophers have also improved their pass coverage, giving up an average of 226.0 passing yards.
Over on the other sideline, the Badgers haven’t fared well ATS, sitting at 4-7. However, they are 8-3 SU this season. Over their last five games, the Badgers have a SU record of 4-1 and a 2-3 record ATS for those betting with them. The Badgers have the sixth-ranked run defense in the nation, giving up just 102.3 yards per game on the ground. It’ll be hard to get the ball out of the hands of Wisconsin’s offense this week. The team’s average time of possession is 34:17, ranking them eighth in the country.
Predictions: SU Winner – Wisconsin, ATS Winner – Wisconsin
Notes
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota’s last 6 games.
Minnesota is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota’s last 5 games at home.
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Wisconsin.
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Minnesota’s last 15 games when playing Wisconsin.
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Wisconsin.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota’s last 7 games when playing at home against Wisconsin.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Wisconsin’s last 7 games when playing on the road against Minnesota.
Wisconsin is 7-0 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. Minnesota is 5-1 SU when leading after three quarters.
Minnesota is an even 2-2 SU in games where it comes out ahead in the turnover battle, yet 3-1 SU when losing the turnover battle.
Dating back to last season, Wisconsin is 12-4 SU against Big 10 opponents, while Minnesota is 7-8 SU against in-conference foes.
