Notre Dame vs Wisconsin Prediction: Are the Fighting Irish Worth the Hype?
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Everyone seems to be picking Notre Dame to do really big things this season.
It’s the best Fighting Irish team yet under head coach Marcus Freeman, it’s going on a revenge tour after being snubbed by the College Football Playoff committee last season, and it has everything in place to come up with a monster year.
Meanwhile, Wisconsin has been a stunning dud since the arrival of head coach Luke Fickell. It’s 9-15 over the last two years, the consistent power running identity is long gone, and worst of all, the team has been boring.
With one stunning performance in Green Bay, though, the entire program can change.
Notre Dame vs Wisconsin: Quick Hits
- The last time Wisconsin played in Green Bay was to start the 2016 season against a loaded LSU team. The Badgers won 16-14.
- Notre Dame is 9-6-2 all-time in the series, with Wisconsin winning the first meeting 54-0 in 1900. The last meeting was a 41-13 domination by the Irish at Soldier Field in 2021.
- Wisconsin gets Western Illinois and Eastern Michigan next. Notre Dame hosts Rice and then Michigan State.
How To Watch Notre Dame vs Wisconsin
Date: Sunday, September 6, 2026
Game Time: 7:30 pm ET
TV: NBC
Location: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI
– CFN Week 1 Schedule, Predictions
– CFN Week 1 Expert Picks
Why Wisconsin Will Win
Once again, the Badger defense will be the truth.
With no help whatsoever from the offensive side, the Badger defense was able to hold up more often than not, with great pressure coming from the front that was stellar against the run.
With Hammon Russell IV (West Virginia) and Junior Poyser (Buffalo), the Badgers have the bulk at tackle. The secondary loaded up, too, with a new bunch – corners Javan Robinson (Arizona State) and Eric Fletcher (Oklahoma State) will be terrific – about to make things tough on the Irish receivers.
– Wisconsin 2026 Preview
Why Notre Dame Will Win
Let’s just say the Wisconsin offense has something to prove.
Much will be made about the Notre Dame offense without NFL first round running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, but the defensive front will be the star. If the Badgers want to get the scoring going again by running the ball, good luck.
They got terrific running quarterback Colton Joseph away from Old Dominion, and the line should be more physical, but the team scored fewer than 14 points in eight of the last nine games, with the only exception coming in the 27-10 win over Illinois.
– Notre Dame 2026 Preview
Notre Dame vs Wisconsin Prediction, Betting Lines
Notre Dame will make the same mistake twice.
Last year, it didn’t run the ball enough early against Miami, scrambled late, and came up just short. It ran just 28 times against the Hurricanes.
It ran a season-low 26 times against Ohio State in the national championship at the end of the 2024 season, and take a guess which game had the second-fewest carries – 28 in the stunning loss to Northern Illinois.
The Irish are 1-5 in the Marcus Freeman era when they run 28 times or fewer – the only outlier was last year’s Syracuse game, when it took just 24 carries to run for 329 yards and six scores.
Five teams ran fewer than 29 times last year against the Badgers, and this year’s run defense will be even better. Notre Dame will rely on CJ Carr and the passing game after the ground attack gets stuffed early on, but things will start to click in late.
Unlike last year in Miami, the Irish will pull this one out. But it’ll be a fight.
Notre Dame 26, Wisconsin 13
Latest Consensus Line: Notre Dame -20.5, o/u: 47.5
ATS Confidence (out of 5): 3.5
Must See Rating (out of 5): 4
Consensus line based on BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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