Prime-Time First TD Bets — Monday Night Football, Week 16
Alex Christenson
Doesn’t everyone love a good revenge game? We have that in Week 4 as the Wisconsin Badgers host the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. All eyes will be on Fighting Irish quarterback Jack Coan and Badgers quarterback Graham Mertz as these Midwestern heavyweights square up.
Last week was a tale of two experiences. While Notre Dame fought off a tough but undermanned Purdue team, Wisconsin was at home preparing for this big game. The early bye week may give Wisconsin the edge .
There’s a lot to consider after going three unpredictable weeks of college football. We have you covered from every angle of this matchup. Let’s dig in.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Wisconsin Badgers Week 4 Odds
Here is a look at the Week 4 betting odds between Wisconsin and Notre Dame odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Wisconsin -6.5 (-110)
- Over/Under 46.5 (-110)
- Moneyline – Wisconsin -240, Notre Dame +195
Notre Dame at Wisconsin Game Preview
Here’s a look at the preview between Wisconsin and Notre Dame for Week 4.
Notre Dame offense vs. Wisconsin defense
Quarterback Jack Coan has been surprisingly efficient for the Irish offense. He struggled to complete anything beyond 10 yards at Wisconsin, but has thus far been a steady playmaker for Notre Dame. Without him, they’d be 1-2 at-best.
Coan suffered a dislocated finger against Toledo and led a comeback win against an unsuspecting foe. Coan and receivers Michael Mayer and Kevin Austin have carried this offense on their backs so far; they account for the vast majority of the unit’s production. This must change for the Irish to win bigger this year.
The run game has been mildly disappointing despite having talented tailback Kyren Williams. I’d expect Wisconsin to sell out to slow the Irish receivers and dare Williams to find his stride despite the offensive line struggling to create lanes this season.
Wisconsin offense vs Notre Dame defense
The easiest way to break down the Wisconsin offense is they must get more out of Graham Mertz in order to become a 10-win team in 2021. Everything that we normally love about a Wisconsin offense is in place; the running game is strong, the blockers are savvy, and there’s enough defensive playmaking to beat better teams.
But Mertz has been a major disappointment ever since his first two career starts that netted seven touchdowns. Since November 14, 2020, Mertz has accumulated just two touchdowns and seven interceptions. He’s been more of a problem than an answer.
Notre Dame performed better than expected last week against Purdue, limiting Jack Plummer’s ability to find chunk yards downfield. The Irish’s run defense had been suspect until last week and that’s where Wisconsin will need to dominate in order to win. However, Notre Dame showed better discipline last week; is it a sign of improvement or merely lower competition?
Betting Trends for Notre Dame at Wisconsin
Notre Dame has covered just two of their last six spreads, but have won 18 of their last 20 overall. They’ve won four of their last five against Big Ten foes.
Wisconsin has been even worse ATS, covering only twice in their last seven games. Their total has gone under in six of their last seven contests.
CFB Betting Picks – Notre Dame at Wisconsin
Coan will get his revenge this week as the Badgers don’t appear to have the well-rounded offense I thought they’d create. Graham Mertz hasn’t been good since his early debut, and the Badgers need to do more than grind out this game in order to win. I’m hedging with both a Notre Dame moneyline and spread.
Best Bet
Notre Dame moneyline (+195) and Notre Dame +6.5 (-110)
