The Big Ten West kicks off the first of its series of division-defining games in the coming weeks, beginning with the Nebraska Cornhuskers traveling to Madison to face the Wisconsin Badgers. Both teams are 4-1 in conference play and are part of a three-way tie with Minnesota atop the division.
Both teams will play Minnesota in the next two weeks, but they can make an early claim toward a potential trip to the Big Ten championship game by taking out one direct rival on national television. The burden will be on star running backs Ameer Abdullah and Melvin Gordon to carry their respective teams to victory. Which one will come out on top?
The same question can be asked of the the SEC West, where Mississippi State and Alabama collide for a possible division-deciding clash. Find our preview of that game here.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Wisconsin Badgers Betting Preview
Where: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison
When: Saturday, November 15, 2014, 3:30 PM ET
Line: Nebraska Cornhuskers (+6) at Wisconsin Badgers (-6) – view all NCAA Football lines
Betting on the Nebraska Cornhuskers
The bye week couldn’t have come at a much better time for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, who lost star running back Ameer Abdullah to an MCL sprain suffered in their 35-14 win over Purdue. The Cornhuskers could only push on the 21-point spread, making it the second straight game they’ve failed to cover after covering their first three conference games.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]Junior Imani Cross did a serviceable job filling in for Abdullah as he rushed for two touchdowns, although he ran for just 3.3 yards per carry. Nebraska as a team ran for 179 yards with four rushing touchdowns.
Head coach Bo Pelini expects Abdullah to be back to 100 percent for their visit to Wisconsin, which will be a huge boost for the Cornhuskers. Abdullah is a major part of Nebraska’s offense, and leads the nation with 188 yards all-purpose yards per game.
If Abdullah isn’t quite back to full speed, quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. will have to carry the Nebraska offense. He accounted for two touchdowns (one passing and one rushing) in the win over Purdue, and gained 70 yards on the ground.
However, Armstrong’s passing accuracy greatly suffered without the threat of Abdullah rushing the ball. He completed a season-low 38% of his passes for 118 yards and will be going up against a Wisconsin defense that’s giving up just 118 passing yards per game, third in the nation.
Nebraska’s own pass defense hasn’t been as stingy, but it has been able to create takeaways. The Cornhuskers have recorded 11 interceptions so far this season, which will be crucial against Wisconsin. The Badgers threw four costly interceptions in their only loss to Northwestern.
Betting on the Wisconsin Badgers
After a somewhat rocky start to conference play which included a shock loss at Northwestern, the Wisconsin Badgers have righted the ship in emphatic fashion. The Badgers are 3-0 in their last three Big Ten games while outscoring their opponents 123-24. Unsurprisingly, they’ve covered all three games pretty easily.
In their most recent 34-16 win over Purdue on Saturday, running back extraordinaire Melvin Gordon recorded his third 200-plus yard running game and punched in his 19th touchdown of the season. Gordon is the nation’s leading rusher, averaging 166 yards per game, while Wisconsin as a team is top-five in rushing with 325 yards per game.
The Badgers even got some unexpected production from their usually-weak passing attack against Purdue. Quarterback Joel Stave set new season highs in completion percentage (65.5) and passing yards (219) and threw for two touchdowns. Gordon will still be the focal point of the offense, but getting anything from the passing game will be a major plus against a prolific Nebraska offense.
However, if there’s a defense equipped to stop the Cornhuskers attack, it’s Wisconsin’s. The Badgers are ranked well inside the top five nationally in terms of points allowed (14) and more importantly, rushing yards allowed (94).
The last solid defense Ameer Abdullah came across was Michigan State, who shut him down to the tune of just 1.9 yards per carry. Wisconsin’s D is right at the Spartans’ level, if not even better, and could give a potentially rusty Abdullah a tough time upon his return from injury.
Writer’s Prediction
Abdullah is badgered all night by the Wisconsin defense, while Gordon goes off for another huge night and delivers the necessary points. Take Wisconsin (-6) to win and cover at home. Create a betting account now and join in the excitement surrounding the intriguing Big Ten.
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