Best Bets: Wisconsin Football Futures Edition
Back by popular demand, BadgerNotes is back with Best Bets by Brandon Cooper for the 2023 CFB season.
With the start of the Wisconsin football season drawing closer, Best Bets is back with a special futures edition.
Left-hand-up, future bets are not my favorite thing when it comes to gambling for a simple reason: the fact that you have money tied up for most of the season, and sportsbooks limit the amount you can wager on futures.
Especially if you have a successful track record (I don’t since I bet on Jameis Winston to win the NFL MVP every year. I Still love you, though, Jameis).
However, if you’re comfortable with that premise, it can be a profitable venture, as sportsbooks usually aren’t as sharp when it comes to future bets.
With all that said, let’s get to some bets.
Wisconsin to Win the Big Ten West (+105)
This is probably the most anticipated Wisconsin football season in the last decade, if not longer, with Luke Fickell and Co. taking over the program.
The Badgers are the favorites to win the Big Ten West as expected, but I'm keeping my expectations tempered for the moment. Especially after seeing the quarterbacks go full-blown Nathan Peterman at the spring game (never go full-blown Peterman).
Yes, it was just a spring game, but it left a sour taste in my mouth nonetheless.
Don't get me wrong; I do think the Badgers will win the division.
But with Iowa (+205) landing Cade McNamara in the transfer portal, they might be able to score 20 points a game this year and be a real threat.
Also, Kirk Ferentz cutting the base salary of his son and Iowa's offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz by $50K and putting in incentives of 25 points per game and seven wins, or else he gets fired, is some of the funniest shit I've ever seen.
One more thing while I'm at it.
I think the transfer portal is awesome, and I love that the athlete-students who make all the money for the universities finally have all the power.
Ok, back to the topic at hand.
I think Illinois (+550) could be another team to give the Badgers a run for their money in the West.
They lost a lot of their best players to the NFL this spring but still have a ton of talent on defense, and if Ole Miss transfer Luke Altmyer can give them anything at the quarterback position, they'll be a competitive football program.
A sleeper to win the division could be Nebraska (+1200), with Matt Rhule taking over the head coaching job.
I will say Nebraska is the most god-awful state in our beautiful country, and we should build a wall around it so those criminals can't get out and steal our jobs.
But Rhule is a good football coach who got the short end of the stick during his time in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers, and I could see them surprising people.
Wisconsin to Win the Big Ten Title (+750)
Not going to happen. But a man can dream.
Wisconsin football isn't on the level of Ohio State, Michigan, and possibly even Penn State.
Talk to me in a year though and I might have the complete opposite take.
Wisconsin Football Over 8.5 wins (-145)
The Wisconsin football program got a huge shot in the arm with the addition of Luke Fickell; pairing that with a top-heavy Big Ten West division, nine wins should be the minimum expectation for the Badgers.
The toughest test will be a brutal three-week stretch of the schedule where the Badgers face Iowa, Illinois, and Ohio State.
Even in the rare chance the Badgers do lose all three of those games, they can still reach the over if they win all other games on their schedule.
Braelon Allen Over 10.5 Rushing Touchdowns (-120)
EMPTY. THE. FUCKING. CLIP.
Braelon Allen has gone over 10.5 touchdowns in both of his seasons at Wisconsin. Add that to the fact he won't be facing eight-man boxes every single play in Phil Longo's offense, and this is looking like free money.
People may be skeptical as Longo's scheme is considered air raid, but I look at it like more of the Chip Kelly style of offense.
Spread the defense out and use athletic offensive linemen to your advantage and run the ball down the other team's throat.
The last time Longo had a running back this talented was at UNC in 2020 when Javonte Willams and Michael Carter shared the backfield.
They each ran for over 1,000 yards and scored a combined 28 touchdowns on the ground.
Oh, and Sam Howell also threw 30 touchdown passes that year.
There's a chance Allen could hit the over by week 5, and it will no doubt be the future I wager the most money on this season.
Other CFB Futures I Like:
Drake Maye to win the Heisman (+600) - Potential number one pick in the draft. If UNC wins the ACC, he has a chance.
Marvin Harrison Jr. to win the Heisman (+2000) - Arguably the most talented player in the nation and the best receiving prospect since Calvin Johnson/Julio Jones.
Alabama to win the National Title (+600) - It's Alabama.
LSU to make the Playoffs (+300) - Brian Kelly is a douche and a complete scumbag, but the guy knows how to build a football program. Don't sleep on the Tigers.
If you have a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Always bet responsibly.
Badgers Country. Let’s ride.
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