The Wisconsin Badgers will host the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Saturday as coach Luke Fickell tries to secure bowl eligibility for the first time in three seasons. Meanwhile, the Scarlet Knights must win their remaining four games — including Saturday’s — to avoid a second straight year without a bowl game.
Wisconsin is an 18.5-point home favorite on Saturday with -1050 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. Rutgers is a +675 underdog, with the game total set at 45.5 points. Here is a preview of Saturday’s Week 10 conference showdown.
Wisconsin Badgers vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights Preview
Wisconsin Badgers
After getting blown out by then-No. 4 Notre Dame to open the season, the Badgers rattled off four straight wins, including a victory over then-No. 13 Penn State. Undefeated UCLA snapped that streak by besting Wisconsin 17-7, only for the Badgers to bounce back with a 24-7 home win against then-No. 16 USC in Madison. That win vaulted Wisconsin up to No. 25 in the AP Poll, only for their ensuing 30-0 loss at Iowa to knock them right back out.
Quarterback Colton Joseph — who won Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year at Old Dominion in 2025 — is completing just 55.6% of his passes for 11 touchdowns, five interceptions, 168.3 yards per game and a 130.1 passer rating in 2026. He has also rushed for 371 yards and four touchdowns after totaling 1,007 yards and 13 scores on the ground last year. Joseph has help in the backfield from Darrion Dupree and Abu Sama III. Dupree has turned 62 touches into 305 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns, while Sama has converted his 61 touches into 341 yards and a touchdown. USC transfer Bryan Jackson has added 123 yards on 34 carries, finding the end zone against his former team a few weeks ago.
In the passing game, Tyrell Henry leads the Badgers with 397 yards and 30 catches, with one touchdown. Tight end Jacob Harris and wideout Chris Brooks have each caught three touchdowns with 250+ receiving yards apiece. On the other side of the ball, linebacker Mason Posa leads the Big Ten with 40 solo tackles, but Cooper Catalano leads the conference with 75 total tackles. Then there’s Sebastian Cheeks, whose 8.0 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks and two forced fumbles all rank No. 1 on Wisconsin.
The Badgers rank 48th in the updated opponent-adjusted SP+ efficiency rankings, coming in at 17th on defense and 101st on offense. Those line up pretty well against their No. 20 scoring defense and No. 99 scoring offense.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Coach Greg Schiano’s second stint in Piscataway has hit a wall, starting with the Scarlet Knights’ 16-point season-opening loss to UMass. After a 58-7 win over FCS opponent Howard, Rutgers lost its first four FBS contests. They beat Maryland on the road, sparking the Terrapins to fire Mike Locksley, but have since lost at Northwestern and to Michigan.
Rutgers will not have quarterback Dylan Lonergan available on Saturday because of the head injury he suffered a few weeks back. Schiano turned to AJ Surace against Michigan in Lonergan’s absence. Surace, who threw three touchdowns and four interceptions against Boston College earlier in the season, completed just three of his 12 passes against the Wolverines, but those completions led to 123 yards and a touchdown. Heading into Week 10, Schiano left the door open for Surace to rotate with third-stringer Sean Ashenfelder, who is 3-for-10 with 50 yards and a pick in limited action this season.
Running back Antwan Raymond is the top option in the Scarlet Knights’ offense with 893 yards and seven touchdowns on 148 touches this season. Even his backup, Clay Thevenin, has turned 85 touches into 486 yards and six scores. Rutgers may need to lean on those two more than usual with Lonergan out and his top receiver, KJ Duff, also doubtful. Duff had 774 yards and nine touchdowns on 45 catches before leaving early last week. Jourdin Houston is the team’s next-best wideout with 18 catches and 264 yards. Starting right guard Kobe Asamoah is out for the season, too, so the banged-up Scarlet Knights may have to get creative to move the ball on Saturday.
The Scarlet Knights enter Week 10 ranked 96th in the SP+, which is good for the lowest in the Big Ten and the third-lowest of any power conference team. Their offense ranks 61st, while their defense ranks 126th. Rutgers ranks in the 70s nationally in points per game, yards per game, passing yards per game and rushing yards per game, making them balanced in the most mediocre way. They have also committed the 12th-most turnovers per game in the country.
Wisconsin vs. Rutgers Pick, Best Bet
For as brutal as Rutgers’ defense has been this season, they have “limited” Maryland to 30 points and Michigan to 28 since coming out of their bye. Wisconsin’s offense is analytically inferior to the Terps’ and Wolverines’ units, so there’s reason to believe they could struggle to light up the scoreboard on Saturday. The Badgers are averaging just 16.5 points per game versus power conference opponents — including Notre Dame — after all.
So while Wisconsin is undefeated at home in 2026, they only have one win over a power conference team by more than 17 points in six tries. Rutgers has lost by that much to only two teams: Northwestern and Indiana, both with top-30 offenses. The Badgers’ offense is outside the top 100 in SP+, so I don’t see them replicating what the Wildcats or Hoosiers have done, even if they score just enough to secure the win.
