Wisconsin opens as a heavy betting favorite Week 1 vs Buffalo

Wisconsin will have an easy matchup to open Luke Fickell’s first season as head coach

Betting lines are starting to trickle out for the start of the 2023 college football season. In case you’re stuck in the lull of the offseason with months until games are played, these lines can be good initial market tests for how Vegas views Wisconsin and other Big Ten teams.

Circa Sports tweeted every Week 1 opening line earlier today. The service has the Badgers as 24-point favorites against the visiting Buffalo Bulls with an over/under of 54.5.

Buffalo is coming off a 7-6 season in the MAC that included a Camellia Bowl win against Georgia Southern, Wisconsin’s Week 3 opponent.

It’s nearly impossible to forecast what the Badgers will look like when the season starts. The defense should impress from the jump, but the new offense may face significant growing pains.

Related: Ranking the toughest games on Wisconsin’s 2023 schedule

Luckily for Luke Fickell and his staff, Buffalo will enter Madison as the 102nd-ranked overall team in ESPN’s SP+ and the No. 113 defense. It’s a perfect tune-up opportunity for the Wisconsin roster.