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Wisconsin vs Minnesota Football Odds & Picks

Written October 2, 2009 by Jordan Haimowitz

The Wisconsin Badgers travel to Minnesota this afternoon with a 4-0 record. They have a very balanced offense that can beat you in the passing game or the running game. Head coach Bret Bielema has this program running the right way and has players who trust his game plan.

Senior quarterback Scott Tolzien has been better then Badgers fans ever would have expected, he’s totaled 884 passing yards with eight touchdowns to two interceptions. In his last game vs. Michigan State, the biggest one of the year until that point, he threw for 243 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. Clutch game in big spots, you’ve got to like that. Currently, the NCAA football odds have Minnesota listed as 3 point home favorites against the Badgers while the total is set for 53 points.

Starting running back John Clay is one of the top 10-20 backs in the nation. He has racked up 398 yards rushing with four touchdowns this season averaging five yards per carry. Look for Clay to play a big role in today’s game. For anyone who bets college football, the $500 match bonus at BetUS is a must-have for this football season.

Tolzien certainly has some big play wide outs to throw to in Isaac Anderson and Nick Toon who both have 236 yards receiving. Toon has 18 catches to Anderson’s 10. The defense is what could hold this team back from having a great season.

They gave up 486 yards to Michigan State and 468 yards to Fresno State in what were their two biggest wins of the season. The secondary is weak and inexperienced which has led to a lot of big plays.

It will be a must for the linebackers and safeties for Wisconsin to play well today in order for them win, but the x-factor for the Badgers is going to be running back John Clay. If he can dominate the time of possession for his team and control the tempo then it will take tons of pressure off the defense. Either way, this will be one heck of a game.

Minnesota is 3-1 on the season and is perhaps the only team in the Big Ten not to face a D-II cupcake opponent. Wins against Syracuse, Air Force and at Northwestern are surely no resume builders but they do not look comical in reference to wins against hand picked teams.

Quarterback Adam Weber has been very up and down not only this season but throughout his career. He has thrown for 879 yards with five touchdown to five interceptions this season. The running game for the Golden Gophers is the weak point they must turn around.

Duane Bennett has 210 yards rushing through four games this season with four touchdowns. The lack of break away rushing plays is noticeable and will be focused on by Wisconsin’s defense.

In terms of a #1 wide receiver, not many teams in the nation have a better one then senior leader Eric Decker who has caught 35 passes for 499 yards and four touchdowns this season. He can beat you deep, on short patterns and is tough as nails.

The defense for Minnesota is average at best, while opponent Wisconsin is very weak in the secondary, the Gophers are not much better. The lack of big game experience may very well be the deciding factor in which team wins this game.

The x-factor for the home team is the defensive secondary. If they allow Anderson and Toon to run wild 20+ yards down the field, it will be a long day for the home fans and head coach Tim Brewster.

Haimo’s Hot Notes:

Wisconsin are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 road games.

Over is 9-3 in WISC last 12 conference games.

MINN are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 conference games.

Over is 9-0 in the last 9 meetings between the two teams

This game will be a close one from start to finish. I don’t think either team will ever be up by more then 10 points at any point this afternoon. Now, I do note that all trends point to Minnesota in this game, however the balance of the Badgers offense is what has me intrigued. Running back John Clay is the feature piece for this team, the tempo he will set will help the defense stay off the field for a long time. Pick below.

Jordan’s Picks: Wisconsin +3

Following what has been a sensational week on the diamond, I am ready to bang out a full weekend of NCAAF and NFL picks. Check out my main cappers page for all published hot streaks and current profit margins. All plays are GUARANTEED for this weekend. Let’s go crush some bookmakers.

You can get many more expert football picks from the best handicappers in the business at Betfirms. There is simply no better site for finding winning college football picks.

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