Minnesota-Wisconsin score predictions from the Gophers On SI staff

The Gophers will look to close the regular season on a high note this week against the Badgers.

Nov 29, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers players celebrate with the Paul Bunyan Football Trophy following the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Gophers have hit a rough stretch of their season with three losses in their last four games. They have an opportunity to achieve something that hasn't been done in nearly 30 years, as they look for their fourth win over rival Wisconsin the last five years. Our staff breaks down the game and Minnesota's chances against the Badgers.

Tony Liebert: Minnesota 18, Wisconsin 15

Minnesota has severely struggled against the pass in all of its games against Power Conference opponents outside of the Nebraska and Iowa showdowns. Facing a team like Wisconsin could be exactly what this struggling defense needs.

Drake Lindsey looked like he had refound some confidence last week against Northwestern, and I think Minnesota's offense could have some success against the Badgers. These are two evenly matched teams and a huge game for both sides, despite less-than-stellar records. I expect the Gophers to do just enough to finish the 2025 regular-season win over their rival.

Joe Nelson: Wisconsin 30, Minnesota 23

Wisconsin is hot, Minnesota is cold. There is literally nothing to suggest the Gophers have enough juice to outmuscle the Badgers in what will be a cold and possibly snowy afternoon in Minneapolis. Wisconsin will run the ball 50 times for 300 yards. Dagger.

Minnesota players pretend to cutdown the goal post with the Paul Bunyan Football Trophy after their game at Camp Randall Stadium Friday, November 29, 2024 in Madison, Wisconsin. Minnesota beat Wisconsin 24-7. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Will Ragatz: Minnesota 17, Wisconsin 10

All year long, the Gophers have found a way to win games at Huntington Bank Stadium, even when it hasn’t always been pretty. This week’s rivalry showdown looked like a fairly straightforward task for most of this fall while the Badgers were losing six straight games by multiple touchdowns, but Luke Fickell’s team seems to have turned a corner by winning two of its last three. Still, Wisconsin is 0-4 on the road this season and Minnesota is 6-0 at home. I think P.J. Fleck, Drake Lindsey, Darius Taylor and company will do enough to pull out a close win on a wintery Saturday in Minneapolis and keep the Axe for another year

Jonathan Harrison: Wisconsin 20, Minnesota 14

Minnesota's season appears to be falling out from underneath them after the bad loss to Northwestern. Drake Lindsey showed he can put on an incredible performance, but it doesn't really matter much if the Gophers' D continues to just gift yards and points to the opposition. Add in that this one might be taking place in the middle of a snowstorm, and it's going to be ugly. This feels like another Gophers loss, with Minnesota heading into bowl season looking like another December trip to Detroit is the most likely scenario.

Here are last game's predictions. Season records for our pickers:

• Joe: 8-3
• Will: 10-1
• Jonathan: 6-5
• Tony: 9-2