As we all know, the Wisconsin Badgers kickoff the 2015 season just days from now against the Alabama Crimson Tide inside the ginormous AT&T Stadium. Being the underdog is nothing new to the Badgers, but being a big underdog certainly is. Wisconsin finds themselves as double-digit ‘dogs for the first time in three years.
READ ALSO: Badgers 10.5-Point Underdogs as ‘Bama Week Begins
Wisconsin Badgers
The Badgers return one of the best defenses in the country from last year. With outside linebacker Vince Biegel and safety Michael Caputo leading the defense, Wisconsin should be in good shape on that side of the ball when they hit the field Saturday night. Corey Clement is certainly the bright spot on an offense that has a shaky offensive line and a quarterback coming off an even shakier season one year ago.
As good as Wisconsin’s defense is, Alabama’s could be even better. With defensive end A’Shawn Robinson and middle linebackers Reggie Ragland and Reuben Foster, the Tide have arguably the best defense in college football heading into the season. There are some question marks on offense, with Nick Saban not having a clue who to name the full-time starter at quarterback and having to replace star wide receiver Amari Cooper. But they have running back Derrick Henry, who has a slight chance at making a run towards the Heisman Trophy.
I posed some questions to Jimmy Boyd who runs BoydBets.com, a site that contains a gamut of betting information in a slew of sports. I wanted to know what he thought of the over/under win total for Wisconsin, the Badgers being a double-digit underdog and more pertaining to the season opener and the season in general. He was kind enough to take some time and answer a few questions for me. You can follow Jimmy on Twitter @boydsbets.
NOTE: Point-spread and over/under reflect what they were at the time of the questions. As the norm, they have changed slightly.
Taylor Johnson: Putting the regular season win total 9.5, do you think the Badgers go over or under that total?
Jimmy Boyd: I have the Badgers going 10-2 this season, which results in a slight lean on the under. I’m expecting a smooth transition under new head coach Paul Chryst and I like that he retained defensive coordinator Dave Aranda. The big key for me pegging Wisconsin at 10-wins, is the schedule. Outside of the opener against Alabama, they should be favored in every other game.
TJ: Alabama is favored by 10 points in the opener. Do the Tide cover or does Wisconsin make a game out of it at AT&T Stadium?
JB: I would have to side with Alabama in this one. The Crimson Tide are my pick to win the SEC West and should have one of their best defenses under Nick Saban. I just don’t think the Badgers will be able to score enough to cover the 10-point spread.
TJ: The over/under for Wisconsin vs. Alabama is at 52. What do you believe the total will be and why?
JB: I would lean towards the under 52. As previously mentioned, I don’t think Wisconsin is going to be able to do a whole lot offensively. At the same time, I think the Badgers defense will play well in this one. Alabama will be working in a new quarterback and adjusting to life offensively without star wide out Amari Cooper. I expect both teams to come in with the focus on running the football, which should eat up the clock and keep this one from exceeding 52 points.
TJ: Finally, Wisconsin looks to be favored in every other game besides the opener as it stands right now. Are they any games during the course of the regular season where you can see the Badgers being an underdog?
JB: If Wisconsin is going to be an underdog in another game this year, it would have to be on the road. The two most likely games where the line could jump to the other side, is either at Nebraska and Minnesota. The Badgers are currently expected to be a favorite of 3-point or less in both of those games.
As much as I would like to see Wisconsin pull off the upset, I have to side with Jimmy on this. It’s going to be a defensive battle with both teams running the football offensively. Alabama just has more fire power on offense that they will pull away in this one. I also will take the under on this game for those same reason as well.
Next: Badgers Must Take Advantage of 2015 Schedule
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