Wisconsin pulled off the most stunning upset of Luke Fickell's career. He knocked off a No. 13 Penn State team in Happy Valley. It's the first time Wisconsin has won in Beaver Stadium since 2003. It came in dramatic fashion, down 17-0, backs up against the wall with a quarterback who was completing more passes to the Nittany Lions than to the Badgers. Yet, the resilience kicked in, the offense started to click, and the Badgers won 24-20.
It was called the "litmus test" for this new 2026 Wisconsin Badger team since the start of the season. The "let's see how this team fares against Penn State." Well, they got knocked down but still won; that will work, and now Vegas is ready for the Badgers to run through Michigan State and bring Wisconsin to 2-0 in the Big Ten.
There's respect for Fickell and his product now out of Vegas. The opening line for Wisconsin vs. Penn State was that the Badgers were nearly 10-point underdogs. Now, Vegas is considering Wisconsin over 10-point favorites to beat the Spartans at Camp Randall on Saturday.
Wisconsin vs. Michigan State odds, spread and total
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook
Moneyline
- Michigan State +310
- Wisconsin -400
Spread
- Michigan State +10.5 (-115)
- Wisconsin -10.5 (-105)
Total
- 44.5 (over -110/under -110)
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
This is a game the Badgers most likely would have been favored to win regardless of the Penn State outcome. For the Spartans and Badgers were considered bottom of the Big Ten type teams. With Wisconsin being at home, they would have been favorites. However, it wouldn't have been by double digits. Maybe 3 or 4, but not nearly 11. And there's a chance it actually climbs.
Vegas probably had an easier time with this spread than other games, as the Badgers have won three in a row and the Spartans have lost back-to-back games. There are also two common opponents the two teams have shared. Both have played Notre Dame, and both have played Eastern Michigan.
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Wisconsin lost to Notre Dame 41-13 while Michigan State lost 27-10. Against Eastern Michigan, Wisconsin won 54-10 and Michigan State won 35-7. The Notre Dame game may be thrown out the window for both teams by Vegas, but that EMU contest is intriguing, especially in back-to-back weeks.
Now add in the Spartans getting whopped by Nebraska on Saturday, 31-13, and Wisconsin pulling off a stunner against Penn State, 24-20, and Vegas sees this game as going the way of a double-digit defeat.
The big deal for the Badgers will be to keep the train going and not let the high of beating Penn State lead to a letdown versus Michigan State. Luke Fickell has to find a way to get the juice flowing again, get a fast start, and keep the momentum running throughout. There's no letup; if the Badgers are really back, then it's time to prove that the Penn State upset wasn't a fluke.
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