The Wisconsin Badgers head into Week 11 as a much smaller betting favorite against the Maryland Terrapins than they were against Rutgers, opening as just 8.5-point favorites on the road following a 31-10 victory over the Scarlet Knights.
Aiming to conclude their campaign on a high note, the Wisconsin Badgers are preparing to travel and play the Maryland Terrapins in Week 11 following a 31-10 triumph against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. After dropping a 31-10 decision to the Iowa Hawkeyes two weeks prior, Wisconsin rebounded well last weekend by giving true freshman Ryan Hopkins his initial career start.
Hopkins finished with 241 yards and three passing touchdowns while completing 75 percent of his passes. Sitting at a 6-3 record, the Badgers possess a solid opportunity to re-enter the rankings by season’s end should they win out, with their remaining schedule consisting of Maryland, Purdue, and Minnesota.
Why Is Wisconsin a Smaller Favorite Against Maryland?
The Badgers’ next challenge comes against a Maryland squad holding a 3-6 record overall, which includes a 1-5 mark in Big Ten competition. The Terrapins had lost six straight, which prompted the firing of Mike Locksley, before turning things around last week with a 34-29 road win over Purdue.
It was the third straight week that Maryland had been in a close outcome. They lost by a touchdown three weeks ago to Rutgers, and they lost by only a field goal to 6-3 Illinois before beating Purdue on the road last week despite being beaten in nearly every statistical category.
According to FanDuel, the Badgers started off as heavy 16.5-point home favorites over Rutgers a week ago. That spread grew to 19.5 by kickoff, and the Badgers covered by winning by 21.
Yet, when looking at this week’s matchup, Wisconsin begins as merely an 8.5-point favorite away from home versus Maryland, accompanied by an over/under of 43.5 points. While there is a clear difference with the road-and-home game split, that is a big difference, perhaps reflective of Maryland’s inspired play over the last few weeks.
Where Do the Badgers Stand in the Big Ten?
Interestingly enough, the Badgers are still in the Big Ten mix with a 4-2 conference record. Currently, they sit in a six-way tie for third at 4-2 behind UCLA at 6-0 and Indiana at 5-1, though a lot could change over the final weeks of the season.
UCLA still faces USC on the road, while Indiana gets USC at home this week. While the Bruins look nearly guaranteed a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game, that second position remains uncertain if Indiana falls this weekend.
The Badgers are set to give Ryan Hopkins his second career start on Saturday. Let’s see if they are able to cover the 8.5-point spread against a 3-6 Maryland team.
