Best Bets: Wisconsin Badgers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes

The Wisconsin Badgers football team is coming off its biggest win of the season, scoring 18 unanswered points in the 4th quarter to beat Illinois 25-21. After a week of sadness coming off the loss to Iowa, the vibes couldn’t have been higher after the game. 

Then about two minutes later, every Badger fan realized we were playing Ohio State this week.

I’m not saying we can’t beat Ohio State, but we can’t beat Ohio State. 

(PSA: I was negative Brandon last week and we won. I know what I’m doing. Trust the process.)

The Badgers’ comeback win, caused me to have a losing week gambling. Which I’m not salty about whatsoever. 

Before we dive into picks for the big game on Saturday, let’s take a look back at last week’s picks and see how the Badgers (and Duke) fucked me. 

Once again, I’m not salty about it at all.   

Wisconsin Football Week Seven Gambling Results

Oct 21, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Wisconsin Badgers offensive lineman Tanor Bortolini (63) gets a hug from a fan after a game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

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Losers:  

Wisconsin vs. Illinois Game Total Under 42 (-110), Illinois +2.5(-110), Illinois Moneyline (+110) – Lumping these losers together for my sanity. All three of these were winners until Nolan Rucci caught the game-winning touchdown for Wisconsin football with 27 seconds left. Tough break for my season-long record, but the Badgers won so I don’t care.

Penn State money line vs. Ohio State (+164) – All season I thought Penn State was the superior team. In short, I was dead wrong. Also, this is what I get for not having morals when gambling.

Duke +14.5 vs. Florida State (-110) – Duke was up by three with under seven minutes left, then proceeded to allow 21 unanswered points. Not great. 

The Blue Devils’ standout QB Riley Leonard left the game in the 3rd quarter with an ankle injury which sent this bet in flames.

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Winners: 

Michigan -24 vs. Michigan State (-110) – Stealing signs and covering lines baby. Michigan continues to be the easiest team in the country to bet on. 

Iowa vs. Minnesota under 30.5 (-110) – The final score was 12-10.  

Season Record: 23-28-0 – The heater is officially over after a disappointing 2-5 week. I’m sitting at 45% on the season, and time is running out to get to 50%.

Always remember, America loves a good comeback story.

Wisconsin Football Best Bets vs. Ohio State 

Oct 21, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell with his players during the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Ohio State -14.5 vs. Wisconsin (-108) – Ohio State has struggled at Camp Randall, so the 14.5 makes me a little nervous. But between having a top-five defense in the country and an elite passing attack, they’ll likely be too much for Wisconsin football to handle. 

Marvin Harrison Jr. over 107.5 receiving yards (-115) – Harrison Jr. is the best player in college football and has hit over this number in four of seven games played. 

Braelon Allen over 76.5 rushing yards (-115) – OSU only gives up 100 yards per game rushing, but anytime I see Allen’s total under 80 yards I have to jump on it. 

Wisconsin vs. Ohio State Game Total Over 43.5 (-110) – *This is my best bet of the week* (we are still not emptying clips until further notice). 

The over/under has increased to 45.5 but I got it at 43.5 on Tuesday. Once again, I am putting my Galaxy brain on full display (I still like the over at 45.5).

Ohio State’s defense is nasty, so I am concerned about Wisconsin being able to put up over 20 points. But, Ohio State has a good enough offense they could hit this number by themselves. 

If the Wisconsin Badgers can score two touchdowns this should be easy money. 

Other CFB Bets I Like

Appalachian State vs. Southern Miss over 56 (-110) – I’ve had success betting on App State overs this season so we’re going right back to them. Both of these teams aren’t good and allow over 400 yards and 30 points per game. 

Utah +6.5 vs Oregon (-112) – The Utes’ offense has come alive the last two weeks to go along with their stellar defense. If they can make things slightly difficult for this high-powered Oregon team, the game should stay within a touchdown. 

I’m also a sucker for taking underdogs at home in a top 15 matchup.

If you have a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Always bet responsibly.

Badgers Country. Let’s ride.

You can also follow me on Twitter @FrznPizzaCooper. There you’ll find jokes, music takes, offensive line talk (especially anything Larry Allen related), Larry Bird highlights (I got a thing for Larry’s what can I say), and of course my Wisconsin football musings for badgernotes.com.

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