Wisconsin Football vs. Washington State: FPI Predictions & Betting Odds

Wisconsin football (1-0) kicked off its highly anticipated 2023 season with an underwhelming 38-17 victory over the Buffalo Bulls in front of a sold-out crowd at Camp Randall Stadium this past weekend.

It wasn’t the beatdown many Badgers football fans, or even Luke Fickell, probably expected, but a win is a win — and now all eyes are on their week two opponent, Washington State (1-0).

The Badgers lost at home to Washington State last season under Paul Chryst, so the holdovers will undoubtedly be seeking revenge as Wisconsin travels to Martin Stadium for a Saturday night matchup under the lights.

Let’s look at the betting lines for the upcoming contest and how ESPN’s FPI sees the game shaking out.

Wisconsin Football vs. Washington State Odds and Betting Lines

• Moneyline (ML): Wazzu +195 OR Wisconsin football -238
• Against the spread: Wazzu +4.5 (-110) OR Wisconsin Badgers -4.5 (-110)
• Over/Under (O/U): 54.5 (O: -110 U: -110)

Last week, I advised readers to refrain from taking the over against Buffalo, and I was wrong. However, the over hit for all the wrong reasons.

Wisconsin’s offense looked terrific in the run game, but overall, the Badgers didn’t look like a well-oiled matching — which is OK. Transitioning your program’s offensive identity is going to take some time.

But we’re onto week two.

This week, Wisconsin football hits the road as 4.5-point betting favorites against Washington State, according to DraftKings Sportsbook — which doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence for me.

I think the Badgers football team will come out with a win, but Wazzu is hardly a pushover. Seeing how UW bounces back from such a lackluster week-one performance will tell me a lot about where the program is at.

The only bets I’d have interest in this week would be the Wisconsin Badgers money line (not exactly lucrative) and the over-hitting because both offenses like to play with tempo. I think this game will be close until the bitter end.

How ESPN’s Matchup Predictor Sees the Badgers Week 2 Matchup Shaking Out

Ahead of this Saturday’s matchup, ESPN’s FPI model gives Wisconsin football a 63.4% chance of winning the first road contest of the Luke Fickell era against Washington State. 

This projection is spot on, IMO. Mike Tressel‘s defense will need to generate more pressure and potentially force a turnover to slow down Washington State’s passing attack led by Camron Ward. 

Expect Wazzu to take a similar approach to Buffalo by getting the ball out quickly and forcing UW’s secondary to man up all night. 

I can’t wait to see what coach Tressel dials up with a week’s worth of actual Wisconsin football game film to review and make adjustments. 

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