The Wisconsin Badgers lost a home game last time out but still sit in sole possession of first place in the Big Ten. There are plenty of teams on their tails so the Badgers must continue to pile up victories.
Their next game is a big one as they face off with the Michigan Wolverines this week. The Wolverines are trying to lock down an NCAA men’s basketball tournament berth and a win in this one would be big.
The Badgers have been better this season but the Wolverines are the home team, so this could be a competitive showdown.
This war on the floor will go down Thursday, February 16, 2017, at 7 p.m. ET at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The game will be televised live on ESPN.
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Odds at BookMaker.eu
Wisconsin is 21-4 straight up 11-11 against the spread. The Badgers have played in seven true road games this season and have covered in three of them. Wisconsin is 11-9 against the spread as the favorite this season and has failed to cover in each of its two games as the underdog.
Michigan is 16-9 straight up and 9-13 against the spread. The Wolverines have played in 13 home games this season and have covered in five of them. Michigan is just 5-11 against the spread as the favorite on the season but 3-2 against the spread as the underdog.
Revenge Angle
Michigan hung tough for all 40 minutes the first time these two teams faced off this season on January 17th, but it was Wisconsin which would get the win that day. The Badgers’ Bronson Koenig sealed the victory on a pair of free throws in the final seconds to give his team the 68-64 win.
Koenig finished with a team-high 16 points for Wisconsin while Zak Irvin had 20 points for Michigan. Despite the loss, the Wolverines shot well from deep range in the last matchup, finishing with 10 three-pointers and were also far superior at the free throw line -- shooting 91 percent compared to Wisconsin’s 58 percent.
The win marked the fourth time in a row the Badgers have defeated the Wolverines with Michigan’s last win against Wisconsin coming in 2014. Michigan is currently 6-6 in conference play and a win over top-ranked Wisconsin would be huge.
Key Stat
60.4. That’s how many points per game opponents are averaging against this Wisconsin defense this season. The Badgers rank No. 4 in the nation in this category and have also held 11 opponents to less than 60 points this season.
The Badgers will be looking to get back on track in this matchup after losing in an upset to Northwestern on February 12th. The defense gave up 66 points in the loss and also allowed 69 points in a narrow win over Nebraska last week.
Michigan is averaging 70 points per game this season. The Wolverines come into this game riding a two-game winning streak and combining for 161 points in that stretch.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
The Wolverines have played well recently to move back up to .500 in conference, and hopes the home court works well in this one. Michigan needs to pick up some signature wins down the stretch as its schedule hasn’t been especially difficult.
It won’t be easy to knock off a Wisconsin team which is so steady on defense and has taken control atop the Big Ten. The loss last time out to Northwestern was a tough one to swallow and the Badgers will be intent on avoiding a two-game losing streak.
The Wolverines are solid but the Badgers are better. Even on the road, take Wisconsin to come away with a victory to keep its lead in the conference.
College Basketball Odds: Wisconsin 67, Michigan 63
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