The No. 8 Badgers (-37) are set to welcome the Kent State Golden Flashes to Wisconsin. This vital daytime game is scheduled to get going at 12:00 p.m. ET and fans can catch the action by tuning in to ESPNU.
Betting Preview: Kent State Golden Flashes vs. Wisconsin Badgers
Kent State is a heavy road dog here and is currently receiving 37 points from oddsmakers. If the Golden Flashes get out in front early on it will create a worthwhile in-game betting opportunity. Oddsmakers have set the over/under (O/U) at 58 points.
With the line opening at -36 and the total initially set at 57.5, bookmakers have shifted the odds slightly.
Each of these teams has been profitable this year as both the Golden Flashes and the Badgers have gained exactly 2.0 units thus far.
The Golden Flashes have gone 2-2 straight up (SU) in 2019 while the Badgers are 4-0 SU.
The Golden Flashes are coming off a resounding 62-20 victory over Bowling Green on September 21. The passing game was sharp as Dustin Crum completed 26 passes on 31 attempts for 310 yards and three touchdowns. Jo-el Shaw (109 yards on 15 rush attempts, two TDs) and the signal-caller Crum (65 yards on nine carries) led the running attack in the win. Mike Carrigan (six receptions, 94 yards, one TD) and Kavious Price (five catches, 64 yards, one TD) handled the receiving duties.
Wisconsin is coming off of a 24-15 win over Northwestern. The team’s let the Wildcats put up 158 yards through the air and 97 more on the ground. Drake Anderson had a good showing in the loss for Northwestern, accounting for 68 rushing yards and a score on 16 attempts. For Wisconsin, Jack Coan completed 15-of-24 passes for 113 yards and one interception. Jonathan Taylor (119 yards on 26 rush attempts, one TD) spearheaded the ground attack in the win while Garrett Groshek (four receptions, 31 yards) led the pass-catching corps.
Kent State has run the ball on 56.7 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Wisconsin has a rush percentage of 63 percent. The Golden Flashes have run for 183 yards per game and have four touchdowns via handoffs this year. The Badgers are logging 230.5 rushing yards per game and have 15 total rush TDs.
It appears that the Badgers might have the edge in terms of effectiveness in the ground game. Their running backs has produced 5.2 yards per carry while the defense has allowed a YPC of 1.7 to opponents. The Golden Flashes have recorded 4.7 yards per carry while allowing a YPC of 4.9 to opponents.
The Golden Flashes offensive scheme has logged 219 yards/contest through the air overall and has nine passing TDs so far. The Badgers have put up 210.5 pass yards per contest and have five total pass scores.
Defensively, Kent State has allowed 261 rush yards and 210.3 pass yards per game. The Wisconsin defense has allowed 147.8 yards per game to opposing passers and 44.5 yards per game on the ground. The Badgers are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 1.84 to opposing QBs, while the Golden Flashes have given up a 6.75 ANY/A.
Coan has completed 60-of-83 passes for 677 yards, five TDs and one INT for Wisconsin. His adjusted net yards per pass attempt sits at 7.95 for the season and 4.26 over his past two outings. In the other huddle, Crum is up to 499 passing yards on the year, and has completed 46-of-62 attempts with four passing touchdowns and has yet to throw an interception. Crum has a pristine 8.03 ANY/A, including 9.25 over the last two outings.
Kent State Golden Flashes vs. Wisconsin Badgers Free Pick
SU Winner: Wisconsin, ATS Winner: Kent State, O/U: Over
Betting Trends
- The Wisconsin defensive unit has sacked opposing QBs 12 times this year. Kent State has produced 11 sacks.
- The Wisconsin offense has lost three fumbles in 2019 while the Kent State offense has let four get away.
- The Golden Flashes offense has produced three pass plays of 40 yards or more, while the Badgers have put up one such play.
- The Kent State defense has allowed five pass plays of 40 yards or more, while Wisconsin has given up one such play.
- The Kent State offense has created 10 rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while Wisconsin has created nine such runs.
- The Golden Flashes defense has allowed six rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while the Badgers have given up two such runs.
- Kent State, as a team, has averaged 5.3 yards per carry over its past three contests and 5.8 over its last two.
- Wisconsin has averaged 5.1 yards per carry over its last three outings and 5.3 over its past two.
