It is a matchup of Top 10 teams in the Orange Bowl on Saturday, December 30, as the No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers take on the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes on ESPN. The Badgers had a chance to make the College Football Playoffs but they fell short due to a loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten title game. On the other side, the Hurricanes lost to Clemson in the ACC title game to end their College Football Playoff chances. Which team will be able to put the disappointment behind them in the Orange Bowl?
Wisconsin vs. Miami
The Badgers are 12-1 SU and 8-5 ATS. The best sportsbook reviews sites tell us that the Badgers averaged almost 34 points per game and gave up just 13 points per contest. The problem for Wisconsin is their passing game, as quarterback Alex Hornibrook was inconsistent. He threw for 2,386 yards and 21 TD but he also threw 15 interceptions.
The Hurricanes were rolling along until a loss to Pittsburgh and then they were blown out by Clemson in the ACC title game. The top betting sites reviews tell us that Miami averaged about 29 points per game and gave up about 20 per contest. Miami has gone completely cold on offense, as they have been outscored 62-17 in their last two games. Quarterback Malik Rosier has been awful in the last two games and he figures to struggle against a Wisconsin defense that was No. 1 in the nation in yards allowed per game and No. 2 against the run.
The best sportsbook reviews sites show that this will be the second straight season for Wisconsin in a New Year’s Six Bowl, as they beat Western Michigan in the Cotton Bowl last year. This will be the 16th straight bowl game for Wisconsin, the second-longest Big Ten streak in history. This will be the first New Year’s Six Bowl game for Miami and their 41st bowl game overall. They are playing in the Orange Bowl for the 10th time and they are 6-3 in the previous nine instances.
This game could come down to whether or not Miami can stop the run. The Badgers feature running back Jonathan Taylor who has 1,847 yards as a freshman. He is just 78 behind Adrian Peterson’s single-season FBS freshman record. The Badgers ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten with 229.2 rushing yards per game. Miami has a good linebacker in Shaquille Quarterman who will be looking to shut Taylor down. Miami wins with defense and forcing turnovers, as they are the No. 1 team in the country in turnover margin at +17. The Hurricanes allowed just 146.1 rushing yards per game this season.
The Hurricanes went 7-0 at home this season and they will have the home crowd edge in this contest. Wisconsin was 5-0 in true road games this season, winning by an average of 25.6 points per game. “We’re playing in one of the best bowl games against a great team,” Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst said. “That’s enough to get your kids excited.”
Orange Bowl Odds
Wisconsin -6.5, total 45
Game Trends
The Badgers are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games on grass. The Badgers are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 neutral site games. The Hurricanes are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 non-conference games. The Hurricanes are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. the Big Ten. The Under is 3-1-1 in the Badgers last 5 bowl games. The Under is 4-0 in the Hurricanes last 4 Bowl games.
Orange Bowl Picks
We’ll go with Wisconsin and also take the under at the best sportsbook reviews sites in this contest.
