The major question to ask in the 12/13 free college basketball pick is if Wisconsin comes out angry – or bad? UW is coming off a devastating loss to their in-state combatants Marquette on the 100th anniversary of the rivalry no less. Western Kentucky probably doesn’t care about feelings however and wants to get a win at the Kohl Center, which has lost some of its luster this season.
How Does Western Kentucky Tackle the Road?
The Hilltoppers have played just one true road game this season, an 84-89 loss to Ohio on Sunday as -2.5 favorites. Of course the Western Kentucky resume does also feature a successful three game neutral site stint at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas. In three games near the end of November WKU beat #17 Purdue 77-73, defeated 7-3 SMU by a score of 63-61, and fell to #1 Villanova 58-66 which was impressive as +22 underdogs. For the 12/13 free college basketball pick Western Kentucky might not have the road experience – but they have faced tough competition.
WKU doesn’t do anything extraordinarily well, but they are well balanced. In the last game against Ohio, five Western Kentucky players scored in double figures. The Hilltoppers do shoot 40% from three point range which will come in handy against a Badgers team that gives up just 65.3 points per game. WKU has scored 75+ points in four of the past five and they’ve held opponents to 61 points or less in three of the last four.
It will be nice to Lamonte Bearden returning to the Kohl Center tonight to face the Badgers. He’s in the top 5 Wisconsin high school basketball players I’ve ever seen along with Joe Wolfe, Tony Harris, Diamond Stone and Devin Harris. #onwisconsin
— scott wilterdink (@saw111671) December 13, 2017
Which Badgers Team Shows Up Wednesday?
So how will UW respond after that 19 point loss to Marquette (63-82) at home as -5 favorites? In that contest the Golden Eagles shot 63% from three point range and over 50% from the field. It was a telling game for a Badgers team that prides itself on defense. Prior to that game Wisconsin had held opponents to 63 points or less in four of five games. The big problem for UW in the 12/13 free college basketball pick is that they cannot score. The Badgers are 320th out of 347 D1 teams in scoring and haven’t eclipsed 64 points over their last five games.
Even worse for UW on Wednesday is that their home court Kohl Center might not be intimidating to opponents any more. The Badgers are 3-3 at home this season – a place where they lost just four games total a year ago. The defeats have been pretty devastating too including a 70-80 loss to Xavier as -3.5 favorites and a 58-83 loss to Ohio State as -7.5 favorites. Those games as well as the Marquette win have to give Western Kentucky hope for Wednesday night.
Badgers Basketball: Another home game equals another tough opponent for Wisconsin, which hosts Western Kentucky tonight https://t.co/mvUmJamNw3
— Benjamin Worgull (@TheBadgerNation) December 13, 2017
12/13 Free College Basketball Pick – Betting
The 12/13 free college basketball pick opened up with Wisconsin being favored by -8.5 but that has been bet down to UW -6. Western Kentucky plus the points is actually the 7th most popular bet on the CBB slate for Wednesday with 58% of the public liking the Hilltoppers. It’s not a bad play, WKU is 5-1 ATS their last six non-conference games and 5-1 ATS their last six overall. Wisconsin on the other hand is 1-4 ATS their last five home games and 1-5-1 ATS their last seven non-conference tilts.
The Hilltoppers have matched up with Purdue, Villanova, and a solid SMU team this season. WKU might not be experienced on the road for the year, but they aren’t intimidated either. Wisconsin could be in trouble in this one.
Pick: Western Kentucky +6
