LAS VEGAS – There will be much more on the line than just Paul Bunyan’s Axe when Wisconsin hosts Minnesota on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, BTN). That’s because both teams are coming off big road wins, putting them in position to play for the Big Ten West division title and the right to play Ohio State in the conference championship game on Dec. 6 in Indianapolis. Based on early Week 14 wagering action at The Wynn, bettors are more impressed with the Badgers' 26-24 win at Iowa as 9-point favorites than the Golden Gophers upsetting Nebraska 28-24 as 9-point underdogs.
Wisconsin opened as an 11.5-point home favorite against Minnesota at The Wynn on Sunday and has been bet up to -13 as of Monday afternoon. The Badgers have won each of the last 10 meetings with the Golden Gophers, but they have failed to cover the spread in three of the past four games between the teams, along with five of the previous seven.
Johnny Avello, The Wynn's executive director of race & sports operations, has been a fan of Minnesota all season and thinks it is still too early to tell where the line is going to end up. Motivation will be high for both teams, considering what is at stake, Avello believes. The Golden Gophers lead the all-time series in one of college football’s oldest rivalries with a 59-56-8 record.
“It’s a huge game for both sides,” Avello told The Linemakers on Sporting News on Monday. “(But) that’s early money, we’ll see where it goes as the week moves on. We’ve talked about this (Minnesota) team before, the way that (head coach Jerry) Kill has these guys playing, they pretty much go into every game focused.
“To Wisconsin’s defense, they’re probably playing their best football right now, I guess. But when you look at the competition over the last six games or so, they haven’t played anybody. The Big Ten is down, of course, that’s for sure.”
There is one key injury to watch, as Minnesota running back David Cobb is listed as questionable with a hamstring injury suffered last week. Cobb is the team’s leading rusher with 1,430 yards and has also scored 12 touchdowns.
There has been an even bigger line move on another Big Ten matchup, which features the teams that lost to the Badgers and Golden Gophers last week. The Cornhuskers opened as 1-point road favorites for a Friday visit to the Hawkeyes, who are now -1 at The Wynn. The move is based on how Iowa played Wisconsin, according to Avello.
“They played Wisconsin real tough at home last week, and I think that’s the reason why they’ve swung to the favorite here,” Avello said of Iowa. “(And) it’s a team that they’ve been able to handle.”
The Hawkeyes won 38-17 at Nebraska last year as 3-point underdogs, and they have covered the spread in the past two meetings and three of the previous four. The Cornhuskers have seen their season start to unravel following a promising start, losing two in a row and going 0-3-1 against the spread in their last four, after covering six of their first seven.
“Kind of a disappointing finish to the year here,” Avello said of Nebraska. “They were playing so well, actually were in the hunt with the only loss being at Michigan State. Now two (losses) in a row. The one at Wisconsin, they happen, but the one at home to Minnesota last week was a tough loss. Not a whole lot to play for here, they’re going to go to a bowl game anyway. Iowa has enough (wins) also.
“Overall, Nebraska’s a more talented team. I guess the motivation’s the question.”
Other notable Week 14 college football line moves (games Saturday unless otherwise noted)
-- Tennessee from -14.5 up to -17 at Vanderbilt
-- Akron from -6 down to -4 at Kent State on Friday
-- Baylor from -23 up to -25 vs. Texas Tech at AT&T Stadium
-- Oregon from -18.5 up to -20 at Oregon State
-- Texas State from -11.5 up to -13 at Georgia State
College football opening lines, Week 14
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