The Duke’s Mayo Bowl is less than 24 hours away, and the BadgersWire staff got together this afternoon to let you know how we see this one playing out. In a battle of two teams that play opposite styles, the Badgers and Demon Deacon’s will meet tomorrow morning in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Who covers the spread? Is the game played at a slow, Big Ten pace, or a speedy ACC pace? Who comes away with the win? Here is how we see the battle for mayo going:
Ben: Wisconsin and wake forest enter Duke’s Mayo Bowl on opposite trajectories. The Badgers are coming off a huge rivalry win over Minnesota and the Demon Deacons have lost two straight ACC games. They also enter the game with opposite paths to victory—Wisconsin controlling the clock and playing defense and Wake Forest playing up-tempo and putting points on the board. What will decide the outcome of the game will be the pace, specifically whether the Badgers are able to conduct long drives and hold the football. In my opinion, the Demon Deacon’s soft defense will allow Graham Mertz to play as well as he has since Michigan and successfully compliment a big day from Jalen Berger and Garrett Groshek in the run game. Wake Forest will score some points, but I think the Badgers do what they need to do in the end to win.
Wisconsin 26 Wake Forest 20 — Wake Forest +7.5, Under 51.5 total points
Wade: The Badgers will be getting back several key playmakers on offense for this game, including freshman RB Jalen Berger, and I think that may give Wisconsin the edge. Despite struggles against Iowa, the Badger defense has been the cornerstone of this team all year long and is one of the best in the country. If they can get rolling on offense, the Badgers should be able to handle Wake Forest tomorrow. These two teams have never played each other before, but the strength of the Wisconsin defense and a relatively healthy offense will help them win the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
Wisconsin 24 Wake Forest 10 — Wisconsin -7.5, Under 51.5 total
Asher: In a game dictated by pace, I think Wisconsin controls the matchup with their defense. A key for the Badger offense will be time of possession, a stat that Wisconsin usually wins. The pace of the Demon Deacon offense could tire out the Badgers, but if Graham Mertz and company are able to sustain drives and keep QB Sam Hartman and crew on the sidelines they should come away with a win.
Overall, I think Wisconsin elongates enough drives on the ground with Jalen Berger to keep the defense rested. Oh, and I expect Jim Leonhard’s defense to ball out aside from a big play or two.
Wisconsin 24 Wake Forest 17 — Wake Forest +7.5, Under 51.5 total