We're just two days away from the Week 1 opener between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, which is set to take place in primetime on Sunday night at Lambeau Field.
Wisconsin, coming off a 4-8 season, is looking to shock the world, but will be a significant underdog against the No. 4 team in the country. The two sides last played in the first part of this series back in 2021, when the Fighting Irish won 41-13 with Jack Coan as their starting quarterback.
Both programs are at very different stages in 2026, with Notre Dame looking to contend for a national championship under head coach Marcus Freeman, while Wisconsin enters a crucial year under embattled head coach Luke Fickell.
Every week, we'll be giving out our predictions on the game. Let's get started with Week 1.
Game Info
Date: Sunday, September 6th
Time: 6:30 p.m. CT
Channel: NBC
Stadium: Lambeau Field
Line: Wisconsin +20.5 (FanDuel)
Over/Under: 47.5 points (FanDuel)
Game Predictions
Week 1s can be very unpredictable, but this feels like a very difficult matchup for the Badgers, who are going to have a ton of new starters on the field and are also dealing with some injuries on the offensive line.
Wisconsin's defense does look strong on paper and will have to carry this team, at least early in the season. But a linebacker core of Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano will be one of the better ones in the country. Wisconsin's secondary is improved with better scheme fits, as the Badgers prioritized speed, length, and physicality with their additions at cornerback and safety.
Wisconsin's defensive line is the true question mark of that unit. The Badgers lost a ton of underrated production there. Mason Reiger, Darryl Peterson, Ben Barten, Jay'Viar Suggs, and Parker Petersen all landed on NFL practice squads. They're going to need the pass rush to step up. We saw last year how the defense really struggled without much pass-rush threat at the beginning of the season.
But they prioritized bigger bodies to help stop the run, and might be even more rotation-dependent this season.
It's Week 1. Teams usually take a big to come out of their shell, and both defenses are quite strong, which is why, out of everything, I probably feel best about the under in this game at 47.5 points. I think Wisconsin's offense will struggle a bit.
If Emerson Mandell and Kevin Heywood are out, the Badgers' offensive line is going to face a tall task against one of the best defensive lines in the country. That, in part, will make it hard on the Badgers run game, and pass protection could be shakier than desired, which isn't great news for Colton Joseph. Notre Dame also has an elite secondary, and Wisconsin's pass-catchers aren't very proven.
I do expect a slower-paced game with the Badgers trying to establish their run game in the first half, which should also help the under. But it really depends on how much Wisconsin's defense can carry this team throughout the game.
Overall, I feel Notre Dame will comfortably win this one, but if the Badgers limit the Fighting Irish to under 34-37 points, the under feels like the pick to make here.
Pick: Under 47.5 points
