It might be better to call this the Opt-Out and Transfer Portal bowl. Both teams will be missing key players in this game and that includes both starting quarterbacks.
The contest has gone from the Copper Bowl to the Insight.com Bowl to the Insight Bowl to the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. More recently, the Cactus Bowl and Cheez-It Bowl have been the names. The first Guaranteed Rate Bowl was supposed to take place in 2020, but there were not enough teams available and willing to fill out all the bowl games. In 2021, Minnesota topped West Virginia 18-6.
While there has been no movement in the college football betting line with Wisconsin favored by 3½ points, the total has gone from 48 to 44½.
Both teams have enjoyed success at this time of the year. Wisconsin has won seven of its last eight bowl games. However, none of those came against Big 12 programs. Oklahoma State is 5-1 over its last six bowl games. It has been nearly a decade since the Cowboys faced a Big Ten team in a bowl game.
Below, we have four proposition bets ahead of this game, highlighting some key players in both camps. Examine the latest college football news, injury reports and stats to help with Guaranteed Rate Bowl predictions and picks.
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.
Wisconsin vs Oklahoma State State Props
- Wisconsin to score first (-125)
- First scoring play to be a Wisconsin touchdown (+150)
- Team to score first to win the game (-185)
- Neither team to score three unanswered times (+155)
Badgers to Start on Time
It is hard to know what to expect from both teams without their starting quarterbacks. Looking at how things shook out during the regular season, Wisconsin was more successful in opening the scoring.
The Badgers struck first nine times compared to just five such occurrences for the Cowboys.
The opposing team has scored first in four of Oklahoma State’s last six games while Wisconsin has broken through the first seven times over the last eight games.
Wisconsin allows just 3.5 points in the first quarter and that ranks 12th nationally. Interim coach Jim Leonhard is said to be very popular among the Wisconsin players so the Badgers will be motivated to send him out as a winner. All of that adds up to going with Wisconsin to strike first.
Young OLBs @_DPETERSON10 and @KadenJohnson9 took a lot from watching @nickherbig_ dominate these last couple of years.
But now DP has a physical reminder of Herbig’s impact every day on the field … the All-American linebacker’s shoulder pads.https://t.co/ajizjc0BJE
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) December 23, 2022
Pick: Wisconsin to score first (-125)
Allen to Get Badgers Off and Running?
It is interesting that in two of the last three Wisconsin games, the Badgers relied on freshman kicker Nate Van Zeist to open the scoring, and four times this season, the first points in Oklahoma State contests came on field goals.
Van Zeist attempted just 13 field goals, and since we are calling for the Badgers to score first, going with a touchdown to get things rolling makes the most sense.
Running back Braelon Allen has done the honors three times with receiver Skyler Bell doing it twice.
Pick: First scoring play to be a Wisconsin touchdown (+150)
Don’t Expect Late-Game Magic
When looking at the 2022 Wisconsin and Oklahoma State seasons, late-game comebacks have been few and far between.
Oklahoma State did need to rally in the fourth quarter for its last two wins.
Something to consider for those who bet online: Wisconsin has been outscored in the fourth quarter of games while Oklahoma State ranks just 88th in fourth-quarter scoring.
With so many different players likely seeing the field, it will be hard to predict the ebb and flow in this game.
Still, going with the team scoring first to win the game would appear to be the smartest bet.
Pick: Team to score first to win the game (-185)
Look for a Back-and-Forth Affair
When looking at the proposition bets in this game, one that jumps out is that the moneyline is a team to score three times in a row is priced at -185 according to the sportsbook.
With inexperienced or at least unproven quarterbacks at the helm, will one of them get rolling to help their team hit paydirt three times in a row? It is entirely possible. However, it would seem more likely that things go back and forth in this matchup.
Pick: Neither team to score three unanswered times (+155)
