The No. 8 Wisconsin Badgers attempt to avenge their 2012 loss in the Rose Bowl when they meet the No. 6 Oregon Ducks on New Year's Day. Kickoff from the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, California is set for 5 p.m. ET. Wisconsin (10-3) entered the fourth quarter with a three-point lead over Oregon the first time these teams met in this event before suffering a 45-28 defeat. The Badgers, who are 6-2 against the spread in their last eight games versus teams with a winning record, have won a school-record five straight bowls to improve to 16-14 overall in the events. 

Oregon (11-2) is looking to notch 12 wins for the fifth time in school history after cruising past Utah 37-15 on Dec. 6 in the Pac-12 Conference title game. The Ducks possess a 3-4 record in the Rose Bowl and a 14-18 overall mark in postseason contests despite posting a 7-6 win over Michigan State in last year's Redbox Bowl. The Badgers are three-point favorites and the over-under for total points scored is 51.5 in the latest Wisconsin vs. Oregon odds. Before finalizing your Oregon vs. Wisconsin picks for the 2020 Rose Bowl, make sure to see the college football predictions from SportsLine senior analyst Josh Nagel.

A Nevada-based handicapper with more than 20 years of experience in the sports wagering industry, Nagel specializes in collegiate athletics and was SportsLine's top college football analyst last year. He is having another strong season for SportsLine members. What's more, the West Coast handicapper has had a keen eye for Oregon, hitting his last five picks involving the Ducks. Anyone who has consistently followed his college football picks is way up.

Now, Nagel has locked in on Oregon vs. Wisconsin from every angle and released another confident against-the-spread pick. You can head to SportsLine to see it. Now, here are several college football betting lines and trends for Wisconsin vs. Oregon:

  • Oregon vs. Wisconsin spread: Badgers -3
  • Oregon vs. Wisconsin over-under: 51.5 points
  • Oregon vs. Wisconsin money line: Badgers -145, Ducks +123
  • WIS: RB Jonathan Taylor has rushed for 100 yards in 32 of 40 career games
  • ORE: QB Justin Herbert is tied for third in the nation with 32 TD passes

Why Wisconsin can cover

Nagel has considered that Taylor is the seventh player in history to rush for 6,000 yards (6,080) during his collegiate career and the first to gain at least 1,900 in three consecutive seasons. The junior needs 166 yards to pass Charles White (6,245) for fifth place on the all-time list. Taylor leads the nation with 26 touchdowns this season and ranks second with 2,118 yards from scrimmage.

The Badgers have allowed their opponents to convert only 27.1 percent of their third-down opportunities, ranking behind only Kansas State (25.9 percent) in that category. Their defense is led by Zack Baun, who has recorded a team-high 12.5 sacks. Baun and fellow senior linebacker Chris Orr (11.5) give Wisconsin two players with double-digit sack totals for just the second time in school history.

Why Oregon can cover

Even with Taylor, the Badgers are not guaranteed to cover the Oregon vs. Wisconsin spread in the Rose Bowl 2020. The Ducks also have a dangerous weapon in running back CJ Verdell, who rushed for 208 yards and three touchdowns in the victory over the Utes. That performance made the sophomore just the fourth player in school history to run for at least 170 yards three times in a season. Verdell is the fifth Duck to record 1,000 rushing yards in back-to-back campaigns and the third to do it in his first two years.

Oregon has registered a total of 20 victories over Mario Cristobal's first two seasons as head coach after amassing the same amount over the previous three campaigns. The Ducks have made 19 interceptions this year, their most since 2012, while linebacker Troy Dye is tied for fourth on the school's all-time list with 44 career tackles for loss. Defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux also has been a force for Oregon, setting the school mark for most sacks by a freshman with a team-high nine.

How to make Wisconsin vs. Oregon picks

We can tell you Nagel is leaning over, and he's also identified the critical x-factor that has him all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing it at SportsLine. 

Who wins Oregon vs. Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl 2020? And what critical x-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Oregon vs. Wisconsin spread you should jump on Wednesday, all from the seasoned expert who has hit five straight picks on the Ducks, and find out.