Wisconsin Badgers vs. Minnesota: Key Players, Notes, & Betting Lines
Wisconsin Football Game Preview: Minnesota.
Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers football team — coming off a comeback victory against Nebraska to become bowl-eligible — will hit the road to take on PJ Fleck and the Minnesota Gophers in the regular-season finale with the Axe on the line.
Minnesota comes into this game with a 5-6 record and has lost each of its last three contests vs Ohio State, Purdue, and Illinois. But there is no love lost between these two programs — and the Gophers have won the Axe each of the last two seasons. Not to mention, Minnesota needs a win over the Badgers to become bowl-eligible.
Even though PJ Fleck is an egotistical douche — he's undoubtedly made the Wisconsin-Minnesota matchup a rivalry again and is 3-3 against the Badgers during his tenure with the Gophers. With Big Ten conference expansion looming — there are questions about whether or not Fleck is the right guy to lead them in the future, though, considering he's 29-30 in league play during his career.
As it stands, kickoff is set for 2:30 PM central time on Saturday and will air on FS1. But before that happens, here is a look at some key players, a few matchup notes, and the opening spread for the Wisconsin football team's matchup vs Minnesota in the battle for the Axe.
Key Players
WR Daniel Jackson: If he were healthy, the offensive player to watch would be Minnesota's freshman running back Darius Taylor. He was absolutely on fire to start his collegiate career — but has been sidelined with an injury since late October.
That said, senior wideout Daniel Jackson is the player to watch in the battle for the Axe this weekend. Minnesota's offense isn't particularly good right now — considering they're down their RB1, and their quarterback isn't what they expected him to be either. But Jackson is one of the most productive pass-catchers in the Big Ten.
The Kansas native has appeared in 10 games this season and caught 48 passes for 710 yards (No. 3 in B1G) and seven touchdowns. Not to mention, he's eclipsed 100 yards receiving in three of his last five games.
At 6 feet, Jackson primarily plays on the boundary (70.1% of his snaps) but is also a player the Gophers like to move around the formation and might see time in the slot. Expect to see Wisconsin football cornerbacks Ricardo Hallman and Jason Maitre handle Jackson primarily.
S Tyler Nubin: Minnesota's defense is hardly the stingy unit the Badgers have gone up against in recent years — but UW is unlikely to connect on many (if any) deep shots in this game because of safety Tyler Nubin.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound safety is viewed by many as an early-round NFL draft pick, and it's easy to see why. Nubin is a chess piece on the Gophers' defense and has seen time at free safety, in the slot, and even in the box.
Nubin has registered 50 tackles, five pressures, four pass deflections, four interceptions, a forced fumble, and one sack. PFF also has him graded as the team's best defensive player (90.7 — elite).
Wisconsin football hasn't found much success in challenging teams downfield in the passing attack — and if Nubin's numbers in coverage are any indication (only allowed four catches on 16 targets all season) — the Badgers might need to run the ball effectively and win with quick hitters to keep the sticks moving.
Wisconsin Football Matchup Notes
Wisconsin football is 62-62-8 against Minnesota all-time
The Badgers are 7-3 in their last 10 meetings.
The last meeting took place on November 26, 2022, when Wisconsin lost 23-16 at Camp Randall.
Wisconsin is 27-38-2 on the road vs. the Gophers all-time.
UW's largest margin of victory against Nebraska came in 1983 when the Badgers defeated the Gophers 56-17.
UW's longest winning streak in this rivalry is 14 straight victories from 2004-2017.
Wisconsin Football Spread & Betting Lines vs Minnesota
When the Wisconsin football team takes the field against Minnesota on Saturday, they'll do it as 2.5-point betting favorites over the Gophers, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
Thus far, the Wisconsin Badgers are currently 3-6-2 against the spread this season and 4-7 on hitting the over.
Moneyline (ML): Minnesota +110 OR Wisconsin -130
Against the spread: Wisconsin -2.5 (-110)
Over/Under (O/U): 42 (O: -110 U: -110)
I'm thankful that the Badgers rewarded my blind faith against Nebraska last weekend and secured bowl eligibility — because playing a road game against Minnesota needing to secure a win and the Axe would have had my anxiety at an all-time high.
But don't get it twisted; this game still means everything to Wisconsin football fans. There's no denying that the Badgers winning the Axe would forgive some of this season's disappointment.
It would even be a little sweeter if it also meant keeping PJ Fleck and the Gophers from becoming bowl-eligible.
Now, onto my degenerate gambling tendencies. Give me the Wisconsin football moneyline, the Badgers to cover the spread, and the under. When these two teams meet, it's typically ugly football (that I love), but I think UW finds a way to end the regular season on a high note and reclaim the Axe.
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