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It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Wisconsin-Minnesota prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Wisconsin-Minnesota.
This is a fascinating game to explore from a pure betting standpoint. The Minnesota Golden Gophers are a weird team to get a handle on, because over the past few weeks, they have completely flipped the script and have distorted a normal understanding of what makes sense in betting, not just basketball. Any betting evaluation normally starts with a presumption that home-court advantage is worth a few points. That will normally lead to a better price and a higher point spread in favor of a team. Minnesota, however, has become the upside-down team in college basketball over the past few weeks. The Gophers have lost a lot of games at home but have become road demons in the Big Ten. Just look at their results. They swept the Los Angeles road trip at USC and UCLA, but have lost at home to Penn State and Washington and Northwestern. They won on the road at Nebraska. They lost at home to Illinois. Minnesota is completely inverting the normal expectation for any sports team, not just any basketball team. This has become a team one can trust on the road, not at home. It leads to a fascinating situation against Wisconsin, one of the better teams in the Big Ten this year.
Here are the Wisconsin-Minnesota College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Wisconsin-Minnesota Odds
Wisconsin: -6.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -280
Minnesota: +6.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +225
Over: 139.5 (-105)
Under: 139.5 (-115)
How to Watch Wisconsin vs Minnesota
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT
TV: Big Ten Network
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Wisconsin Will Cover The Spread/Win
The spread seems high, but then you stop and realize that Minnesota has been a bad home team this year. It seems that the spread is a direct reaction to that reality. Under more normal circumstances, this spread would be 4.5 or maybe even 3.5 points, but given the way Minnesota has played at home this season, that spread doesn't seem ludicrous at all. Minnesota lost to Penn State by nine points at home and to Northwestern by 12. Minnesota lost to Illinois by 21 points at home. Given all of that, Wisconsin winning this game by seven or eight points doesn't seem all that unreasonable. The Badgers have an elite offense and have been playing at a high level for most of the season. Why would anyone suddenly trust Minnesota to slow down this roaring UW offense, and why would anyone suddenly trust Minnesota to play a strong game at home, where it has not won a game since January? The Gophers did not win a single home game in February. What makes anyone think the Gophers will abruptly figure things out on their home floor?
Why Minnesota Will Cover The Spread/Win
Minnesota might have struggled at home over the past month, but the Gophers are a competitive team which has stood up to the rest of the Big Ten. Sweeping that Los Angeles road trip took a lot of guts. The Gophers won at Nebraska this past weekend when the Huskers were trying to nail down an NCAA Tournament berth. Minnesota is playing opponents which really need to win, and yet the Gophers are beating them anyway. That should give bettors ample reason to think UM can cover a spread which is not especially small. UM can lose by six and still cover? That seems like a very attractive bet to make.
Final Wisconsin-Minnesota Prediction & Pick
Minnesota is getting a lot of points here, so this is where we would lean. However, we don't trust the Gophers at home. Wait for a live in-game betting opportunity.
Final Wisconsin-Minnesota Prediction & Pick: Minnesota +6.5
