Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Wisconsin vs Oklahoma State
Can Leonhard Exit Wisconsin on Winning Note?
Just who is left to play in this game? Both Wisconsin and Oklahoma State saw a large exodus of players via the transfer portal as well as NFL prospects who are opting out.
Jim Leonhard will wrap up his stint as Wisconsin’s interim coach. He has done a nice job since moving into that role and the Badgers will be looking to send him out as a winner in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.
Oklahoma State came in 12th and Wisconsin was 18th in the preseason Associated Press poll, but both teams are now unranked.
The NCAA football odds list Wisconsin as the 3½-point favorite.
Let’s check the latest college football odds, stats, injury reports and college football lines for Wisconsin vs Oklahoma State. We’ve plenty of NCAA football odds for you to consider.
Outgoing Cowboys Leave Holes to Fill
Several key players on both sides of the ball either have hit the transfer portal or opted out rather than risk injury as they are headed to the NFL.
Veteran quarterback Spencer Sanders is one of four skill position players in the transfer portal, joining running back Dominic Richardson as well as receivers Braylin Presley and Langston Anderson. Center Eli Russ also entered the portal while receivers Jaden Bray and Braylin Green are dealing with injuries. Bray is done for the year.
Sanders was not only the player the passing game was built around, he was the No. 2 rusher as well. The only player on the team with more rushing yards was Richardson so it is hard to know what to expect from the Cowboys on offense.
The defense took a hit when defensive lineman Tyler Lacy (6½ sacks) opted out of the bowl game and linebacker Mason Cobb (95 tackles) transferred to Southern California.
The good news is the defensive end Brock Martin is expected to play despite declaring for the NFL Draft.
Oklahoma State has covered against the Las Vegas odds in just one of its last five games.
Changes in Store for Badgers
It was quite the season for Wisconsin as the Badgers made it into a bowl game despite firing head coach Paul Chryst after a 34-10 loss to Illinois.
Former Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell has been hired to try to get Wisconsin back to competing for Big Ten titles. He won’t be coaching in the bowl game.
A total rebuild is not needed as Wisconsin came into 2022 having posted a winning record in each of the last 20 seasons.
Braelon Allen is the focus of the offense as he has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his two college seasons. Allen is questionable with a leg injury and there are transfer rumors swirling around him, but it looks like he will be returning to Wisconsin.
With transfer portal rumors in the past, Braelon Allen eager for future under Luke Fickell #Badgers https://t.co/g39SbGVWpf via @247sports
— Michael Hogan (@MHoganReports) December 15, 2022
When Fickell was at Cincinnati, the Bearcats had more success throwing the ball than Wisconsin has in recent years, so it will be interesting to see if there are more downfield passes in this game to get the process rolling.
Linebacker Nick Herbig, defensive lineman Keeanu Benton and cornerbacks Jay Shaw and Justin Clark all opted out of the bowl game, leaving some huge holes in their absence. Add in that defensive backs Semar Melvin and Titus Toler are both in the transfer portal and this will be an interesting game.
The game has gone over the college football predictions total in seven of Wisconsin’s last 10 games.
Wisconsin vs Oklahoma State Game Injuries
Wisconsin vs Oklahoma State Head-to-Head
Somehow these two programs have never met.
This is Oklahoma State’s first meeting with a Big Ten team since beating Purdue 38-13 in the Heart of Dallas Bowl on Jan. 1, 2013.
The last time Wisconsin met a team from the Big 12, the Badgers topped Colorado 31-28 as a seven-point underdog in the 2002 Alamo Bowl.
Wisconsin vs Oklahoma State Information
- Game: Wisconsin (6-6) vs Oklahoma State (7-5)
- When: Tuesday, Dec. 27th, 10:15 p.m. ET
- Location: Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
- Wisconsin vs Oklahoma State Live Stream: ESPN
Wisconsin vs Oklahoma State Betting Lines
Wisconsin vs Oklahoma State Picks & Prediction
Who will win the battle of the backup quarterbacks?
The total opened at 48 and is now down to 43. There has been very little movement in the betting line with Wisconsin holding steady as a 3½-point favorite.
The teams are a combined 3-7 away from home and also 3-7 against the spread in those games.
The total has gone over in six of Wisconsin’s last eight games when listed as the favorite, but it has done under in 13 of the last 16 times that Oklahoma State came in as the underdog.
The Wisconsin Badgers are listed at -165 in our Vegas college football lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Badgers, you have a chance to win $61. The Oklahoma State Cowboys are +145, offering a chance to win $145 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Wisconsin a 62.26% chance to win, with Oklahoma State at 40.82%.
Wisconsin vs Oklahoma State Trends
Wisconsin vs Oklahoma State Edge
Wisconsin vs Oklahoma State Results
Wisconsin vs Oklahoma State Game Summary
