[12:00 PM] #8 Wisconsin @ Northwestern

Who will WIN this matchup?

#8 Wisconsin Badgers (6-2)

@ Northwestern Wildcats (4-4)

Current odds:

Wisconsin Badgers: (-250)

Northwestern Wildcats: (+210)

• ESPN simulations have Wisconsin as XX% favorites to win the game.

• XX% of sports bets are currently on Wisconsin to win as (TBD) favorites.

• The line for this game is Wisconsin by 6.5 points.

• With designs on playing in the Big Ten Championship game next month, Wisconsin claimed a hard-fought victory it needed last weekend. Now that the last of their school-record five top-10 opponents is in the rear view mirror, the eighth-ranked Badgers go about the business of ending a 17-year dry spell at Northwestern on Saturday when they visit the Wildcats.

• With leading rusher Corey Clement bottled up for most of the day (exactly half of his 82 yards rushing on 19 carries came on one late rush), Dare Ogunbowale erupted for a season-high 120 yards, including the eventual game-winning touchdown in overtime. Ryan Connelly started in place of injured leading tackler Jack Cichy at inside linebacker and earned Big Ten co-Defensive Player of the Week honors after recording a career-high 11 tackles (two for loss) and two pass breakups. Wisconsin is one of four FBS teams to boast a pair of players with at least 10 pass breakups (Derrick Tindal has 12 and Sojourn Shelton has 10), helping the Badgers post the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in the country (0.4) and tie LSU for fewest TD passes allowed (four).

• Clayton Thorson ranks third in the league in passing yards (1,942), yards per game (242.8) and touchdowns (15) – the last of which is the most ever by a sophomore quarterback in school history. Favorite target Austin Carr was held out of the end zone for the first time in seven games versus Ohio State, but the senior receiver collected a career-high 158 yards on eight catches and still leads the conference in receptions (58), receiving yards (878), receiving yards per game (109.8) and touchdowns (9). Defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo did not record a sack for the first time in four games, but he remains the Big Ten leader with eight and needs 6.5 more before the end of the season to tie the school record.

• The Wildcats recorded five sacks, forced five turnovers, held Wisconsin to a school-record minus-26 yards rushing and used a goal-line stand in the final seconds to edge the Badgers 13-7 in Madison last season.

• Wisconsin has drawn only 23 flags this season – an average of 2.9 that ranks second nationally behind Navy (2.3) – and been whistled for a penalty once in the last two contests.

• Northwestern running back Justin Jackson needs 132 more rushing yards to become the first player in program history to run for 1,000 in three consecutive seasons.

StreakSmarts Pick: Wisconsin Badgers

Confidence: 5/10