The Wisconsin Badgers (19-12) travel to face off against the Northwestern Wildcats (21-10) on Friday, March 15th. This game will be played at Target Center in Minneapolis and televised on BTN. Northwestern is coming off a win in their previous game, while Wisconsin is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Purdue. Tip-off is set for 2:30 ET.
Wisconsin Badgers vs Northwestern Wildcats
The Wisconsin Badgers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Wisconsin will look to snap a six-game road losing streak when they take on Northwestern on the road. The Badgers are 3-9 on the road this season compared to 16-3 at home. They are 15-6 when favored this year.
Wisconsin is coming off a 78-70 loss to Purdue and has gone just 2-8 in their last ten road games. On the season, the Badgers are averaging -5.3 points per game on the road compared to +10.9 at home.
Wisconsin has an overall ATS record of 13-18 this season, including a mark of 3-9 vs. the spread on the road. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Badgers are just 3-7 vs. the spread.
Today’s over/under line of 137.5 is lower than the average over/under line in Wisconsin’s games this season (138.9). Over their last three games, the over/under record is 3-0 and the average scoring total in those games is 144 points. For the season, the over/under record in Wisconsin’s games is 19-10-2.
The Northwestern Wildcats Are Coming Off A Win
Northwestern has been excellent at home this season, going 17-2 with an average scoring margin of +11.2 points per game. Over their last ten games at home, they have gone 9-1.
So far this season, the Wildcats have been the underdog in 12 games, going 5-7. They come into this game with a record of 21-10, including a 12-8 mark in Big Ten play.
As the underdog, Northwestern has been a solid bet this season, going 8-4 vs. the spread. Their home ATS record is 11-7-1 and they have gone 6-4 vs. the spread in their last 10 home games.
On the season, the over/under record in Northwestern games is 19-12, and today’s over/under line of 137.5 is similar to the average over/under line in their games this year (137.4). In their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1, and the average scoring total in those games is 141 points.
Wisconsin Offense Breakdown
The Badgers’ offense wrapped up their last game with 70 points, aligning closely with their current season average of 74.4 points per contest. One area that the Wisconsin offense has been good this season is getting to the line. Currently, they are 146th in free-throw attempts per contest. Overall, they have a field goal percentage of 46%.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| AJ Storr (G) | 16.2 | 3.7 | 1.0 |
| Tyler Wahl (F) | 11.7 | 5.9 | 1.8 |
| Steven Crowl (F) | 10.8 | 7.5 | 2.0 |
Northwestern Offense Breakdown
Northwestern’s offense is coming off a good game, putting up 90 points vs. Minnesota. Overall, they hit 58.6% of their shots from the field and went 12/15 from the free-throw line. Leading the team in scoring is Boo Buie, who is averaging 18.9 heading into today’s matchup. Additionally, Brooks Barnhizer also maintains a PPG average of 14.6 heading into game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boo Buie (G) | 18.9 | 3.5 | 5.1 |
| Brooks Barnhizer (G) | 14.6 | 7.2 | 2.7 |
| Ryan Langborg (G) | 12.4 | 3.1 | 2.6 |
Wisconsin Team Defense
At present, the Badgers’ defense is nationally ranked 108th, allowing 69.8 points per game. Wisconsin’s three-point defense is currently 123rd in the country at 7.0 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 46.2% of their shots vs. Wisconsin.
Northwestern Team Defense
Coming into today’s game, the Northwestern defense is giving up an average of 69.0 points per contest. Against Minnesota in their most recent game, the Northwestern defense gave up a total of 66 points while allowing Minnesota to hit 58% of their shots.
Badgers vs Wildcats Trends
- Through their last three road games, Wisconsin has an ATS record of just 1-2. However, their overall record was 0-3 while averaging 75 points per game.
- The Wildcats are 3-0 ATS in their last three home games and 2-1 straight-up.
- Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the underdog, the Wildcats have a straight up record of 4-6. Their record vs the spread in these games was 7-3.
- Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Badgers have gone 3-7 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 6-4.
Badgers vs Wildcats Prediction
The Wildcats come in as the underdog at +3.5, making them our top choice on the point spread. We not only expect them to cover the spread but also believe they have a strong chance of winning the game outright, especially if you’re aiming for a higher moneyline payout.
Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 137.5, and our model predicts the Badgers and Wildcats to score a combined 144 points. We recommend betting on the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:March 15, 2024 Northwestern Wildcats, Wisconsin Badgers