The Maryland Terrapins will host the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday, looking to notch their second straight win under interim coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim. As for the Badgers, Luke Fickell’s squad is still technically alive in the hunt for a Big Ten championship following last week’s rebound win over Rutgers.
Wisconsin is an 8.5-point road favorite on Saturday with -345 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. Maryland is a +275 underdog, with the game total set at 42.5 points. Here is a preview of Saturday’s Week 11 Big Ten showdown.
Maryland Terrapins vs. Wisconsin Badgers Preview
Maryland Terrapins
While the Terps stomped Hampton 62-0 and beat UConn 38-14 to open the year, they proceeded to lose by nine to Virginia Tech and by 51 to UCLA – both at home. Maryland hardly put up a fight against Nebraska or Ohio State, then lost by a touchdown to Rutgers. That is when coach Mike Locksley got the boot, giving him a 10-21 record following his three consecutive bowl wins from 2021 to 2023. Illinois needed a walk-off field goal to beat Maryland in Abdul-Rahim’s first game after getting elevated from co-defensive coordinator, before the Terrapins finally got a conference win by besting Purdue 34-29 on the road.
Amid all the turmoil, quarterback Malik Washington has remained under center. He leads the Big Ten with 308 pass attempts, as well as eight interceptions. He has 11 touchdowns, a 60.7% completion percentage and a 123.4 passer rating, plus his 169 yards and four touchdowns as a runner.
Running back DeJuan Williams leads the Terps in every major rushing stat, despite missing a month with a knee injury. He has 525 total yards and six touchdowns on 81 touches in just six games, far outproducing Iverson Howard’s 306 yards and four touchdowns on 77 touches in nine appearances. Wyoming transfer Chris Durr has been the star in the passing game with 811 yards and six touchdowns from scrimmage, with Old Dominion transfer Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding and former Tennessee wideout Kaleb Webb each topping 300 receiving yards themselves.
The Terps rank No. 74 in scoring offense and No. 80 in total offense, compared to their No. 87 ranking in total defense and No. 118 ranking in scoring defense. Maryland slots in at No. 103 in opponent third down conversion rate and No. 113 in their own third down conversion rate. In the opponent-adjusted SP+ efficiency metric, Maryland ranks No. 79 overall with the No. 71 offense, No. 88 defense and No. 84 special teams.
Wisconsin Badgers
A 28-point season-opening loss to Notre Dame had the Badgers on the back foot from the jump, but they followed it up with four straight wins against Western Illinois, Eastern Michigan, then-No. 13 Penn State and Michigan State. Even after losing to then-No. 12 UCLA by 10 points, Wisconsin bounced back and beat then-No. 16 USC by 17. And after Iowa pitched a 30-0 shutout in Kinnick Stadium, the Badgers once again got right by beating Rutgers 31-10.
Wisconsin made a change at quarterback midway through that Iowa game, moving on from Old Dominion transfer Colton Joseph and turning things over to freshman Ryan Hopkins. Joseph had 11 touchdowns, five interceptions, a 55.6% completion percentage and a 130.1 passer rating on 12.9 yards per completion, while Hopkins has three touchdowns, one pick, a 70.3% completion percentage and a 167.4 passer rating on 12.8 yards per completion. At the same time, Hopkins has been a non-factor as a runner, compared to Joseph’s 371 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
Iowa State transfer Abu Sama, USC transfer Bryan Jackson and junior Darrion Dupree have shared the load in the backfield, combining for four touchdowns and 111.2 scrimmage yards per game. While Tyrell Henry may lead the Badgers with 33 receptions, he is averaging just 19.5 yards and 1.8 catches per game without a touchdown since Week 4. Bowling Green transfer tight end Jacob Harris is the next-highest volume pass-catcher with 334 yards and four touchdowns on 19 catches, but veteran receivers Eugene Hilton Jr. and Chris Brooks aren’t far behind with their five combined touchdowns and 230-plus scrimmage yards each.
Wisconsin ranks No. 39 in SP+, boasting the No. 90 offense, No. 13 defense and No. 32 special teams. Their scoring offense ranks No. 15 in FBS, with their total defense coming in one spot higher at No. 14. Linebackers Cooper Catalano and Mason Posa can take a lot of credit for anchor that defense with their 90 and 73 tackles, respectively, while edge rusher Sebastian Cheeks has 9.0 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks with two forced fumbles.
Maryland vs. Wisconsin Pick, Best Bet
Through six Big Ten games, Wisconsin has only played in one contest that topped 42.5 total points on the board. And even then, it was just barely over at 44 points, plus they have come in under in all five games since. This Badgers defense is real, and up there with some of the toughest that the Terrapins have faced in 2026. The 34 points Maryland scored against Purdue last week are likely a mirage, considering the Boilermakers have the No. 108 defense in SP+. Wisconsin’s unit ranks No. 13 in that metric – Maryland is averaging 14.8 points per game when facing top-50 defenses, compared to their 38.0 points per game against everyone else.
