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It’s the Wisconsin Badgers and Oregon Ducks once again in the granddaddy of them all. These two teams played in 2012 when Chip Kelly’s Ducks outdueled Russell Wilson and the Badgers 45-38 in what was the highest scoring Rose Bowl at the time.
In 2019, these two teams come in with fairly similar seasons in what should be another tight matchup. Both teams suffered one unexpected loss (Wisconsin to Illinois, Oregon to Arizona State) and losses that are forgivable (Oregon to Auburn, Wisconsin to Ohio State twice).
The Ducks are coming in after handling Utah in the Pac-12 title game, while Wisconsin will head into New Year’s Day following a Big Ten championship in which the Badgers went into halftime ahead 21-7 only to give up 27 unanswered points in a loss to Ohio State.
Wisconsin is led by Jonathan Taylor, who will very likely be playing his final game at running back for the Badgers before moving on to the pros. Oregon’s Justin Herbert’s name can be seen at the top of mock draft boards, so there should be plenty of NFL interest in this game.
Television, Streaming options
Date: Wednesday, January 1, 2020
Time: 5:00 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Odds
Wisconsin -2.5, 50.5
Initial Betting Analysis
It’s a struggle to pick a side between two teams that are so evenly matched. This should be closer to a pick ‘em, so I’d give a slight edge to Oregon if we’re giving them 2.5 points before kickoff. The way to bet this game is to take the over. Wisconsin’s defense has not been as dominant as it was earlier in the season, while the Badgers’ offense has improved. Oregon has gone over 30 points in seven of its last eight games. Take that over now before it gets any higher.
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Odds and lines subject to change. See website for details.