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Expert picks for Wisconsin at Minnesota: Badgers predicted to reclaim Paul Bunyan's Axe

Lorin Cox|
Nov 25, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Tanner Mordecai (8) hoists Paul Bunyan s Axe after defeating the Minnesota Golden Gophers to claim the rivalry trophy at Huntington Bank Stadium.
Nov 25, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Tanner Mordecai (8) hoists Paul Bunyan s Axe after defeating the Minnesota Golden Gophers to claim the rivalry trophy at Huntington Bank Stadium. | Nick Wosika-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin BadgersMinnesota Golden Gophers

Paul Bunyan's Axe has changed hands each of the last few seasons, but college football experts think the Wisconsin Badgers will win it back on Saturday.

The predictions this week are split in both directions, but the writer and analysts making their picks are leaning Wisconsin.

Both Badgers beat writers at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel think Wisconsin gets the job done and stacks up back-to-back wins.

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Mark Stewart sees it 24-17, while John Steppe has it tighter and lower scoring at 17-14.

Bucky's 5th Quarter feels similarly, with writer Andy Heckroth predicting a 17-13 final

Even writers who cover the Golden Gophers aren't overly confident about Minnesota's chances.

Over at Minnesota Gophers on SI, their staff writers are split on their picks.

Two of them see the Gophers winning a close game, while the other two think Wisconsin wins a higher scoring affair.

The same is true at The Daily Gopher, where two of their writers expect a tight Badgers victory, while the other six are riding with Minnesota.

Related: Luke Fickell and Wisconsin Badgers taking new approach for rivalry game vs Minnesota

This Big Ten rivalry matchup is always a tough fight, and neither team will expect any sort of easy time on Saturday.

Wisconsin is the hotter team right now with two ranked victories in their last three games, but Minnesota has lost two in a row and will be desperate to finish the season a high note against their nemesis.

It will be Senior Night for the Gophers too, so the emotions and intensity will be high in Huntington Bank Stadium.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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