It’s not looking great for the win/loss total in 2025 for Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin Badgers had one of the busiest offseasons in college football, being a key player in the transfer portal, while having some notable staff changes on both sides of the ball.
As a result, they have a much different identity heading into the 2025 season, providing some optimism after two disappointing campaigns under head coach Luke Fickell. But, they also have one of the toughest schedules in the country, ranking among the top five in the FBS on several projections.
So, how many wins are the Badgers projected to have in 2025?
Currently, FanDuel Sportsbook has Wisconsin’s over/under at 5.5 wins. Surprisingly, the under is favored at -144 odds, while the over has +118 odds.
Elsewhere, CircaSports has the same over/under at 5.5 wins. Same with BetMGM. And DraftKings has Wisconsin’s under on 5.5 wins at -150 odds.
Let’s take a look at the schedule. The toughest matchups this season will likely be: at Alabama, at Michigan, Ohio State, and at Oregon. It’ll be hard for the Badgers to scrape a win out of any of those teams. The saving grace is that all four teams will be going through quarterback changes, but the remainder of those rosters are strong enough to be playoff teams in college football this year.
Then come the two rivalry matchups: Iowa and at Minnesota. Wisconsin was blown out in both games this past season, and they’ll likely be underdogs again in 2025 in both games.
Illinois was a big surprise last season, going 10-3, and seems poised to remain competitive with quarterback Tommy Altmeyer in 2025. Indiana reloaded with one of the best quarterbacks in the transfer portal, Cal’s Fernando Mendoza, so they have a good building block for 2025.
Even the other games, such as Washington and Maryland, aren’t gimmes. The Huskies are expected to start former four-star Demond Williams Jr., who has some of the highest potential of any quarterback in the conference.
So, if Wisconsin is to reach that six-game threshold, who will they have to beat?
Early-season games against Middle Tennessee and Miami (OH) are musts. That gets us to two wins. They’ll have to beat Maryland (and probably Washington). That’s four wins there.
Assuming the Badgers can’t beat any of their four toughest matchups, they’ll have to win two of the following: Iowa, at Minnesota, Illinois, and at Indiana.
Will they ultimately get to six games? Let us know in the comments below.