Conference Tournament week throughout the wild world of college basketball will continue on Friday as the five-seeded Wisconsin Badgers take on the four-seed Northwestern Wildcats. Join us for our College Basketball odds series where our Wisconsin-Northwestern prediction and pick will be unveiled!
Don't look now, but here come the Badgers! Fresh off of an 87-56 trouncing of Maryland, Wisconsin feels more than primed to make a run in this Big Ten Conference Tournament! As a whole, the Badgers possess a 20-12 record including an 11-9 conference mark as well. Acting as the five-seed, can Wisconsin use their red-hot shooting from Thursday to give Northwestern a run for their money?
Under the phenomenal leadership of head coach Chris Collins, the Northwestern Wildcats enter the Big Ten Tournament with a whole bunch of swagger under their sails. Despite losing two in a row to the Iowa Hawkeyes and Michigan State Spartans, the Wildcats ended the regular season on a high note with a 90-66 beatdown against the Minnesota Golden Gopher. Slated as the four-seed in the conference tournament, will Northwestern have what it takes to win their first Big Ten crown since 1933?
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Wisconsin-Northwestern Odds
Wisconsin: -4.5 (-105)
Moneyline: -184
Northwestern: +4.5 (-115)
Moneyline: +152
Over: 134.5 (-110)
Under: 134.5 (-110)
How to Watch Wisconsin vs. Northwestern
Time: 2:30 ET/11:30 PT
TV: Big Ten Network
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why Wisconsin Will Cover The Spread/Win
Without a doubt, Wisconsin got off to a slower-than-expected start to the season, but they managed to regroup nicely with some resume-building wins over then No. 3 Marquette and snagged some pivotal conference wins over schools such as Nebraska, Northwestern, and Indiana.
If Wisconsin wants to see themselves win for the second time in as many days, they will need to put together a game plan that revolves around consistency from start to finish. Alas, the Badgers have struggled with that type of steadiness this year. Entering the month of February, the Badgers stringed together an 8-1 record in conference play.
However, things went south as the team went 3-9 the rest of the way. Nevertheless, Wisconsin reminded the rest of the conference how effective they can be as they flexed their muscles over Maryland in the opening round. As long as Greg Gard's crew can push the pedal to the metal from the opening tip to by the time the clock hits triple zeroes, they should be able to make this a game.
In time, Wisconsin will also find success in this one if they can continue to be blistering hot from downtown. While connecting on 61% of their three-point attempts for a second-consecutive game will be a difficult ask, managing to hit these shots from deep will be as critical as it gets. In short, Wisconsin will have its fair share of open looks offensively, and it will be up to them to make Northwestern pay in the biggest of ways.
Why Northwestern Will Cover The Spread/Win
For starters, the Wildcats haven't had a taste of college basketball success in their history with only two NCAA Tournaments under their belts, but there is no question that Chris Collins has transformed this program for the better overnight.
After accumulating a 12-8 record in conference play to go along with a 21-10 mark overall, the Wildcats will need to focus on playing their brand of basketball. All year long, Northwestern has made a name for itself with it's ability to not turn the ball over, shooting lights out from beyond the arc, and a comfortable pace of play that keeps the game well in control. Of course, the catalyst that makes the engine of this team go is guard Boo Buie. To put it frank, he is a special ball player, and his combination of handles and elite nature to score the basketball helps him stand out from the rest. Clearly, he will be one of the sole reasons why the Wildcats survive and advance in this conference tournament.
Ultimately, Northwestern ranks 50th in the NET and 42nd rating in the KenPom. Furthermore, the Wildcats have tallied a 17-12-2 record against the spread. In order to build upon that overall mark, keep your eyes peeled on how Northwestern deals with an injury bug that has reared its ugly head. With the much-needed rest as the Wildcats will be taking advantage of the double-bye, can Northwestern overcome the setbacks to a slew of difference makers missing in the starting lineup?
Final Wisconsin-Northwestern Prediction & Pick
This is what March is all about! Ladies and gentlemen, indulge yourself with some Big Ten Conference fun by taking Northwestern to cover and advance to the semifinals.
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Final Wisconsin-Northwestern Prediction & Pick: Northwestern +4.5 (-115)
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