The Wisconsin Badgers (11-3) travel to face off against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (8-6) on Monday, January 6th. This game will be played at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway and televised on FS1. Wisconsin is coming off a win in their previous game, while Rutgers is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Indiana. Tip-off is set for 7:00 ET.

Wisconsin Badgers vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights

The Badgers Are Coming Off A Win

Wisconsin improved to 11-3 on the season with a dominant 116-85 win over Iowa on Friday, January 3rd. The Badgers, who were -6.5 favorites going into the game, covered the spread comfortably. The total points for the game reached 201, well over the pre-game O/U line of 162.5.

Leading 54-43 at halftime, Wisconsin put up 62 points in the 2nd half while holding Iowa to 42 points. It was a strong all-around performance for the Badgers, especially on the offensive end.

The Scarlet Knights Are Coming Off A Win

Rutgers dropped to 8-6 on the season after an 84-74 road loss to Indiana on Thursday. The Scarlet Knights entered the game as +7.5 underdogs and failed to cover the spread.

After trailing 41-34 at halftime, Rutgers scored 40 points in the 2nd half but allowed 43. The game’s total points of 158 went over the pre-game line of 153.5.

Badgers Offense Breakdown

Wisconsin’s offense was on fire in their last game, putting up 116 points while shooting 64.5% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 80.6%, thanks in large part to their 67.7% shooting from beyond the arc, hitting 21 of 31 threes. They also connected on 88.2% of their free throws.

John Blackwell led the way with 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists, hitting 6 of 10 from deep. Drew Thelwell added 25 points, shooting 64.3% from the field. The Badgers finished with 26 assists as a team, with Steven Crowl going a perfect 4 for 4 from the field.

Scarlet Knights Offense Breakdown

In their latest game, Rutgers put up 74 points, shooting 44.3% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 49.2%. They connected on 52.5% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 28.6% of their threes. At the free-throw line, the Scarlet Knights shot 60.9%, and they grabbed 7 offensive rebounds, with only 7 assists as a team.

Ace Bailey was the standout performer, scoring 39 points on 55.2% shooting, including 4-of-8 from three-point range. Myles Rice added 21 points, while Oumar Ballo contributed 17 points and 12 rebounds. Mackenzie Mgbako hit 3 threes, finishing with 16 points, and Trey Galloway also connected on 3 triples, adding 11 points and 4 assists.

Badgers Team Defense

Wisconsin’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 85 points while allowing the opposing team to shoot 64% from the field. The Badgers couldn’t contain the two-point shots, as the other team went 19/31 for 61%.

From beyond the arc, Wisconsin allowed 21 threes on 31 attempts, a 67% shooting performance. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 17 times, where they hit 15 free throws, shooting 88%.

Scarlet Knights Team Defense

Wisconsin’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 85 points on 64% shooting from the field. The Badgers allowed 40 made field goals on 62 attempts.

From beyond the arc, Wisconsin’s defense gave up 21 threes on 31 attempts, a 67% shooting percentage. They also sent the opposing team to the line 17 times, where they made 15 free throws.

Badgers vs Scarlet Knights Trends

• Wisconsin has a 2-3 record in their last five road games. In this stretch, they averaged 80 points per game while allowing 83. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-2.
• Across their five previous home games, Rutgers has an ATS mark of 1-3-1. Their straight up record in these matchups was 1-4 while averaging 78 points per game.
• Spanning across their last three games as the betting underdog, the Scarlet Knights have gone 1-2 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 0-3.
• In their last five contests as the favorite, Wisconsin has a poor record vs the spread going 2-3. But, they still put together a straight up mark of 4-1.

Badgers vs Scarlet Knights Prediction

As the underdogs with a spread of +1.5, we recommend going with the Scarlet Knights on the point spread. We not only see them covering the spread but also have a strong likelihood of winning this one outright, especially if you’re seeking a higher payout on the moneyline.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 156.5 and our model has the Badgers and Scarlet Knights finishing with a combined 145 points. Our pick is to take the under.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* 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.