Maryland football: Terps open as 10-point underdogs at Wisconsin

Oddsmakers aren't high on Maryland's chances to move to 6-2 and 3-1 in the Big Ten next weekend. The Terrapins have opened as 10-point underdogs against Wisconsin on Saturday, according to odds released by Vegas Insider.

Plenty of time remains for that line to shift before kickoff, but this would be the biggest odds deficit Maryland has faced this year. Ohio State also opened as a 10-point favorite against the Terps, but that line – curiously, in retrospect – tightened as kickoff neared. Even without factoring in a roughly three-point weight for playing at home, the Badgers are favored by a full touchdown.

The Badgers (4-2, 1-1 Big Ten) had a bye this weekend. On Oct. 11, they beat a bad Illinois team, 38-28. Before that, they lost on the road, 20-14, to Northwestern. And a week further back, they beat South Florida, 27-10. Maryland, of course, narrowly escaped against South Florida in its second game of the season, 24-17.

The Terrapins beat Iowa, 38-31, on Saturday.

Wisconsin's biggest asset is its nearly 350-yard-per-game rushing attack, which has been the best in the Big Ten. The Badgers play in Camp Randall Stadium, an 80,000-seat fortress in state capital Madison. It will almost certainly make for the most challenging road environment the Terps have played in this season.