Delaware vs Wisconsin prediction: Wisconsin opens life after Boyd and Blackwell against Delaware
The Badgers lost the two guards who carried their offense, and a slow, three-happy Delaware team gets the first look at who replaces them.
- Expect a slow, perimeter-heavy game in which Wisconsin's size and ball security carry it unless Delaware's shooters get hot early.
- Nolan Winter inside against a Delaware team that ranked 229th in defensive rebound rate last season.
- No spread or total is posted yet. Delaware played at the 350th-fastest pace last season, which points toward few possessions.
The guards are gone
Wisconsin starts its season without the backcourt that scored most of its points. Nick Boyd (20.7 points per game) graduated, and John Blackwell (19.1) is now at Duke. The Badgers bring back 58.1% of last season's minutes but only 46.7% of its points, and they have eight newcomers. Big Ten media noticed: the Columbus Dispatch poll picked them 11th of 18.
The constant is Nolan Winter, a preseason All-Big Ten second-team forward who averaged 13.1 points and 8.5 rebounds last season. He posted a 135.5 offensive rating last season, the best among Wisconsin's top returners, and he will now work without two high-usage guards. Wisconsin's only public look so far was a 94-71 exhibition win over UW-Parkside on Oct. 10.
The baseline still favors the hosts. By last season's final adjusted net efficiency (points per 100 possessions, adjusted for opponents), Wisconsin ranked 25th and Delaware 294th. Delaware is coming off a 10-21 season, adds Manhattan transfer Devin Dinkins to compete for backcourt minutes, and plays its first Big Ten opponent of the year in the first meeting between the programs.
Threes at a slow walk
Both teams lived behind the arc last season. Wisconsin took 52.1% of its shots from three, the 7th-highest share in Division I. Delaware was not far behind at 46.0% and made 36.0% of them, a respectable mark that gives an underdog a way to hang around.
What neither team did was run. Delaware ranked 350th in pace and Wisconsin 267th, so this projects as a game with few possessions. Fewer trips cap the margin, but they also mean every missed three costs more. If Delaware's shooters go cold early, a slow game gives it little time to recover.
Who keeps the ball
The clearest edge in last season's numbers is ball security. Delaware turned it over on 18.5% of its possessions, 293rd nationally, while Wisconsin was one of the most careful teams in the country at 13.4%, 10th. Wisconsin's defense rarely creates turnovers on its own, ranking 317th in forced turnover rate, so Delaware's giveaways will depend on its own decisions rather than pressure.
The glass offers Delaware even less help. It ranked 363rd in offensive rebound rate, the share of its own misses it recovers, so second chances will be scarce against a bigger Wisconsin front line led by Winter.
Availability to track
Freshman guard Josh Manchester is out for the season after shoulder surgery, and he watched from the side at the Oct. 13 practice.
The bigger question is Braeden Carrington. As of Oct. 5 his eligibility was unresolved and tied up in a lawsuit, and nothing newer on a ruling has surfaced, though he was at practice Oct. 13. He hit 40.1% of 172 threes last season off the bench, and with Boyd and Blackwell gone, his shooting would matter. Austin Rapp also practiced Oct. 13. Tip-time listings conflict; the game streams on B1G+.
Where the money is on Delaware vs Wisconsin
On the Kalshi moneyline: Delaware: 71% of bets, 3% of the money; Wisconsin: 29% of bets, 97% of the money.
Key players
- Nolan Winter (Wisconsin): Averaged 13.1 points and 8.5 rebounds last season with a 135.5 offensive rating.
- Braeden Carrington (Wisconsin): Shot 40.1% from three last season, the best mark among Wisconsin's returners, if he is cleared.
- Austin Rapp (Wisconsin): Made 36.3% of his threes and 85.4% of his free throws last season.
- Andrew Rohde (Wisconsin): Started all 34 games last season and averaged 2.9 assists, the most among returning Badgers.
Numbers that matter
| Wisconsin returning points | 46.7% | Under half of last season's scoring is back after Boyd and Blackwell left. |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware pace rank (last season) | 350th | One of the slowest teams in the country, which points to a low-possession game. |
| Wisconsin 3-point attempt rate (last season) | 52.1% | The 7th-highest share of threes in Division I. |
| Delaware turnover rate (last season) | 18.5% | Ranked 293rd, against a Wisconsin team that ranked 10th in protecting the ball. |
| Delaware offensive rebound % (last season) | 21.0% | Ranked 363rd, leaving few second chances. |
Delaware vs Wisconsin: quick answers
When is Delaware vs Wisconsin?
Friday, November 6, 2026 at 12:00 AM ET.
Where is the money on Delaware vs Wisconsin?
On the Kalshi moneyline: Delaware: 71% of bets, 3% of the money; Wisconsin: 29% of bets, 97% of the money.