The Wisconsin Badgers are generally a contender in both the Big Ten and in college basketball as a whole. Not this season. Not even close. Wisconsin has dropped into a terrible rut and will simply be playing out the string this season. They will be reduced to the role of spoiler in a matchup against the No. 20 Michigan Wolverines this week.
Michigan has struggled a bit as well lately but is still on track to make the NCAA Tournament and is aiming to improve its seeding. There aren’t many years in which the Badgers are an underdog playing at home but that will be the case in this one.
The Wolverines would love to bolster their resume with a win in this one and will be expected to get it.
At 1 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Sunday, February 11, 2018, at the Kohl Center.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Sunday schedule.
Odds Analysis
Michigan is 19-7 straight up and 14-10-1 against the spread. The Wolverines have covered in five of their nine games on the road this season. Michigan is 10-8-1 against the spread as the favorite.
Wisconsin is 10-15 straight up and 10-14 against the spread. The Badgers have gone 6-7 against the spread at home this season. They have covered in half of their eight games as the underdog.
Key Stat
8. That’s the number of losses in the past nine games for Wisconsin, as the wheels have fallen off during this stretch of the season. Wisconsin has been close in some of them, losing by four to Rutgers, four to Nebraska, by eight to Northwestern and then by five to Maryland last time out.
The Badgers have also been blown out in others and have sunk to the bottom half of the standings with a 3-9 record in conference. Wisconsin is usually one of the best teams in the Big Ten next to Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, Ohio State and Indiana, but it hasn’t come together in this one.
Wisconsin is playing its customary deliberate style and is only allowing 66.4 points per game. The problem is that the Badgers are only averaging 67.0 and don’t have enough firepower to hang around against talented opponents.
Player to Watch
Moritz Wagner – Michigan’s junior forward has combined for 36 points and 19 rebounds over the last two games. He is the team’s leader in both categories, averaging 14.4 points and 7.2 rebounds this season.
Wagner had a team-high 27 points in his team’s upset win over Michigan State back in January and has captured five double-doubles this season. He was close to a sixth on Tuesday, finishing with 20 points and nine rebounds in the Wolverines’ loss to Northwestern.
He shot 70 percent from the field in the matchup against the Wildcats, and is averaging 53.7 percent from the floor on the year. He will be one of Michigan’s top weapons in this matchup.
Free NCAA Men’s Basketball ATS Picks
It has been a rough stretch for Wisconsin of late, but look for that to end here. While it won’t mean much in the long run, the Badgers can feel a little better about itself by claiming a win over the ranked Wolverines.
Michigan is a good team but playing on the road is never easy. Look for Wisconsin to establish a lead early and then use a slow pace to frustrate the Wolverines. Wisconsin is the choice to not only cover this spread but pull off the upset for a nice payout on the moneyline.
The “under” could be the right call depending on where the scoring total is set.
NCAA Men’s Basketball Odds: Wisconsin 71, Michigan 68
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
