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College Football Week 6 Odds, Picks & Prediction: Wisconsin vs. Northwestern (2022)

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Let’s take a look at the College Football Week 6 odds, picks, and predictions for this week’s game: Wisconsin vs. Northwestern.

Here are other game previews for Week 6:

And check out our other Week 6 College Football betting content:

Check out Thor Nystrom’s Week 6 College Football Power Rankings >>

College Football Week 6 Odds, Picks & Prediction: Wisconsin vs. Northwestern

This feels like a good opportunity for Wisconsin to get the ol' "dead cat bounce" after firing HC Paul Chryst. The Badgers get a poor opponent after a brutal opening slate (No. 12 SOS). And Wisconsin may be healthier this week than they've been a month.

Interim HC Jim Leonhard said he expects the team's top cover CB, Alexander Smith, to make his season debut this Saturday. That would greatly aid a secondary that has played down thus far.

Wisconsin also may be getting RB Isaac Guerendo, WR Keontez Lewis, TE Hayden Rucci, and RT Riley Mahlman back. All missed last week's game but have been removed from the injury report.

Wisconsin matches up well with Northwestern. As always, Wisconsin is a run-heavy outfit that needs to grind out consistent positive yardage on the ground to score. Northwestern's run defense ranks No. 125 SP+ and below No. 100 in both DL yards/carry and defensive stuff rate. Northwestern's feeble defensive front consistently gets shoved backward.

Wisconsin's receiving corps also has the advantage over Northwestern's secondary - QB Graham Mertz should get advantageous single-coverage looks off play action all afternoon.

On the other side, I struggle to see how Northwestern will score. The Wisconsin defense is still very strong (No. 14 SP+). The Wildcats will struggle to run the ball against Wisconsin's run fits. And while Northwestern's OL should provide QB Ryan Hilinski with time to throw, decision-making has been a concern, and Wisconsin's secondary is clearly superior to Northwestern's receiving corps.

This is a big-time motivation game for the Badgers in Leonhard's debut. And Leonhard's motivation couldn't be any higher - he's basically been given a seven-game audition for the permanent job. I expect a route.

Pick: Wisconsin -10

What is Betting Against the Spread?

Betting "against the spread" refers to the act of choosing the winning team based on a numeric handicap placed on the team that oddsmakers believe is superior, rather than picking the outright winner. For example, if the Rams face the Bengals, and oddsmakers set the spread at Rams -3.5, you would need Los Angeles to win by 4 or more points in order to cash your Rams bet.

What is an Over/Under Bet?

Over/Under is a wager based on how many points you think will be scored in a specific game. Oddsmakers set the total, and bettors decide whether the final score will be higher or lower than that number. If an Over/Under is set at 44.5 points and you bet Over, you will need the combined score of both teams to be 45 points or higher to win your bet.

What is a Moneyline Bet?

A moneyline bet involves choosing which team you believe will win a specific matchup. The moneyline favorite carries a minus designation, like -130. This means that you need to wager $130 to earn a $100 profit. Conversely, the underdog carries a plus designation, like +110. This means that you win $110 in profit on a $100 bet.

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