2019 Wisconsin vs. South Florida Free Pick: Friday August 30th
Badgers Look to Run Early and Often in Tampa
The 2019 Wisconsin vs.South Florida free pick has the #17 ranked Badgers as somewhat of a modest road favorite at -11. UW is breaking in a new starting quarterback on Friday night but have a Heisman candidate in their backfield. It’s tough to go on the road to start the season, but can the Badgers dominate in this one?
Badgers to Load Up With Taylor on Friday Night
It’s no mystery what the Badgers game plan is going to be in the 2019 Wisconsin vs. South Florida free pick and that’s a healthy dose of Heisman candidate Jonathan Taylor. The UW running back is coming off a 2,194 season a year ago that led all of college football in rushing yards. The USF defense allowed nearly 200 yards on the ground per game last season. Besides Taylor’s raw talent, another reason Paul Chryst is going to rely on the ground game vs. the Bulls is because Jack Coan is the new QB. Coan takes over for 3-year starter Alex Hornibrook. The Badgers have a talented WR trio, but do lose 4 starters on the O-line.
Another reason to like the Badgers to cover in their opener is because of the defense. UW allowed 22.5 ppg last season which was 34th in the country. The Badgers lose both T.J. Edwards and Ryan Connelly to the NFL draft and return just 4 starters from a year ago. The Badgers do bring back 6 CB’s that started a game in 2018 however which will help against a revamped USF offense.
Can South Florida Get the Upset With A New Offense?
Are the Bulls getting too many points in the 2019 Wisconsin vs. South Florida free pick? Do they have enough for the outright win? There’s a lot of questions surrounding the Bulls as they turn to new offensive coordinator Kerwin Bell comes in after creating an offensive juggernaut at the Division II ranks. Bell’s Valdosta State squad averaged 52 points and 523.9 ypg last season. 9 offensive starters are also back for USF including quarterback Blake Barnett.
South Florida started off the 2018 season 7-0 before having a complete meltdown and losing their final 6 games of the year. As expected, the defense played a major part in the losing streak as they gave up 39.3 points and 470 yards per game in the second half of the season. USF has 6 starters back however including linebacker Nico Sawtelle who missed the last 7 games of 2018. The more the merrier when trying to stop Taylor and the Wisconsin ground attack.
Top Trends:
- Badgers are 13-4 ATS last 17 road games
- Badgers are 4-9 ATS last 13 overall
- Bulls are 0-5 ATS last 5 home games
- Bulls are 0-4 ATS last 4 games in August
2019 Wisconsin vs. South Florida Free Pick
UW can rely on one of the best RBs in the country in this one. The Badgers do have some question marks on the line though and have a new quarterback at the helm. The Bulls return a lot of players on offense, but it’s still not enough to combat a tough Wisconsin defensive unit.
Pick: Wisconsin Badgers -10
