Wisconsin Badgers predictions: Game 8 vs. Wake Forest in Duke’s Mayo Bowl

Wisconsin will finish up this strange, wacky, completely different 2020 season with one more game with, perhaps appropriately, a mid-week game beginning at 11 a.m. CT.

The game, of course, as you know by now is the Duke’s Mayo Bowl (previously known, among other things, as the Continental Tire Bowl, Meinecke Car Care Bowl and Belk Bowl) and the opponent Wake Forest.

The bowl is ripe for puns, but we’ll try to spare you (as hard as it is for us to restrain ourselves).

This will be the last time to see a few players take the field for Wisconsin, which also will try to be avoiding its first losing season since 2001. The Badgers are already assured of having their worst winning percentage since 2012 (8-6, .571).

Regardless, the Badgers – even with all their turmoil: a struggling quarterback, two top wide receivers being out, unknown quantities at running back – are a touchdown favorite against the Demon Deacons, who have some issues of their own.

Wake Forest has played just once Nov. 14 and will be without their second-leading rusher (Kenneth Walker Jr. who had a team-high 13 touchdowns) and leading sacker (“Boogie” Basham), both of whom opted out of the season earlier this month.

Here’s this week’s – and the season finale’s — predictions from around the web:

The Associated Press’ Ralph D. Russo: Wisconsin 34, Wake Forest 24.

Pat Forde of SI.com: Wisconsin 26, Wake Forest 17. “Wake has a plus-13 turnover margin and has only given the ball away three times in eight games. That’s worth keeping in mind, but so is the fact that the Demon Deacons are soft against the run and Paul Chryst might be ready to make a renewed commitment to pounding the rock after this team has been pretty ordinary in that department.”

Pete Fiutak of Collegefootballnews.com: Wisconsin 34, Wake Forest 20. “Wisconsin won’t look quite like the team you’re used to, but the defense will be a rock. The Badgers have time, the team is rested – it has never looked anything but sluggish since the Michigan game – and there will be just enough ways to bother Demon Deacon QB Sam Hartman to slow down the O. The Badger running game, though, will power up enough to be okay. It’s not going to be the most aesthetically pleasing game, but it’ll be relatively close throughout, and it’s football around lunchtime on a Wednesday. After this rough year, Wisconsin won’t argue with a win to close things out.”

Bill Bender of The Sporting News: Wisconsin 27, Wake Forest 17. “Both teams had stop-and-start seasons that were impacted by COVID-19. The Demon Deacons have not won since Halloween, and the Badgers had a three-game losing streak where they failed to score seven points per game. Wisconsin ended that with a 20-17 victory against Minnesota in the finale, and they build on that momentum. Is this the coolest bowl name of all?”

Jon Kinne of Athlon Sports: Wisconsin 24, Wake Forest 13. “The Wake Forest offense will want to be balanced, which is the only way to successfully attack the Badgers’ D. But it won’t be enough. Wisconsin’s defense will dominate once again and their offense will get back to their smash-mouth ways. For the sixth time in seven years, the Badgers will emerge victorious in a bowl game.”

Stewart Mandel of The Athletic ($): Wisconsin 26, Wake Forest 17. “Wake Forest has played one football game since mid-November, a 45-21 loss at Louisville on Dec. 12, so your guess is as good as mine what the Demon Deacons will look like. I just know they’ll be without star DE Boogie Basham. Wisconsin strikes me as another team eager to prove away its recent struggles.”

Chip Patterson of CBSSports.com: Wisconsin 28, Wake Forest 17. “While Wake Forest has some great experience against top programs here in Charlotte, the same site where it knocked off Texas A&M in a shootout back in 2017, a repeat of that result seems less likely given the current state of the Demon Deacons roster. Late-season opt outs by defensive end Carlos “Boogie” Basham and running back Kenneth Walker III plus injuries have tested this team’s depth, and I think the physical challenge presented by Wisconsin on both sides of the ball needs a lineup as close to full strength as possible. As long as the Badgers don’t leave the door open with mistakes and turnovers, they should be able to play bully ball and win the game at the line of scrimmage.”

Rob Oiler of BuckeyeXtra.com: Wisconsin 23, Wake Forest 20.

Cole Frederick of the Gadsden Messenger: Wisconsin 23, Wake Forest 20.

Kyle Wohleber of GameHaus: Wake Forest 19, Wisconsin 17.

Skip Snow of Sportsbook Wire: Wisconsin 31, Wake Forest 21.

Joe DiTullio of GameHaus: Wisconsin.

Bill Connelly of ESPN+: His S&P+ projection has it Wisconsin 33, Wake Forest 18.

All three Athlon Sports analysts are picking Wisconsin to win.

Five of the six analysts at USAToday.com are predicting a Wisconsin victory, with Eddie Timanus the lone dissenter.

Five of seven CBSSports.com analysts think Wisconsin will win – Dennis Dodd and Ben Kercheval are going with Wake Forest — and not-so-coincidentally five of seven think the Badgers will cover a 7-point spread.