Game Prediction: No. 14 Wisconsin Badgers At Minnesota Golden Gophers

Who does our staff think will win Saturday's game between the Badgers and Golden Gophers?

Author:
Andrew Lind
Nov 26, 2021 7:21 PM EST

Wisconsin has won 16 of the last 17 games against Minnesota, giving Paul Bunyan’s Axe a seemingly permanent home in Madison. This year’s matchup has massive implications on the Big Ten West Division, though.

If the Badgers win, they’ll take on either Ohio State or Michigan in Indianapolis. If the Golden Gophers win, they’ll send Iowa to the Big Ten Championship Game instead give the Hawkeyes’ win over Nebraska on Friday afternoon.

Here’s how our staff at BuckeyesNow expects the game to go down:

WISCONSIN at MINNESOTA – Saturday, 4 p.m. on FOX
Spread: Wisconsin (-7)
O/U Total: 38.5

Brendan Gulick: Wisconsin 21, Minnesota 14

I have a hard time seeing this being a high-scoring game. Wisconsin has one of the three best defenses in college football this year and they’ve been virtually impossible to move the football against. Offensively, the badgers have come along way but Minnesota has a pretty darn good defense themselves.

This is a fun rivalry in the Big Ten and one that Wisconsin has completely dominated in the last 20 years. If Mo Ibrahim were heathy, I might be tempted to pick the Gophers. But I think the Badgers win and punch their ticket to Indy next weekend.

Andrew Lind: Wisconsin 21, Minnesota 17

While Ohio State-Michigan gets all of the attention this weekend, this is also a must-win game for both teams. Wisconsin would punch its ticket to Indianapolis with a win, while Minnesota saw its chances disappear with Iowa’s win over Nebraska on Friday.

The Golden Gophers will have to fight for every yard on the ground, but if they can control the clock, they have a chance to upset the Badgers. A turnover by either team could ultimately decide a low-scoring game for the Paul Bunyan Axe.

Caleb Spinner: Wisconsin 17, Minnesota

I’ll cut right to the chase and tell you Wisconsin is going to win this football game. The only real evidence you need to call this one is to look at the schedules. Each of the Badger losses has come against a ranked team, with two of those teams (No. 5 Michigan and No. 6 Notre Dame) now in the hunt for a spot in the CFP.

Meanwhile, Minnesota fell to unranked Illinois and more notably Bowling Green earlier this year, a team that (no offense to the Falcons) they should have easily destroyed. Wisconsin will head into the bowl season in the win column, 17-10.

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