The NCAA Tournament continues to be one of the best sporting events in the world, and the action kicks off this weekend. There will be a number of great games on the schedule, including the James Madison Dukes taking on the Wisconsin Badgers.
James Madison is the number 12 seed in the South Region, but they are a popular team to pick this week. The Dukes are sitting at 31-3 on the year, and they are good enough to win more than one game in this event.
Wisconsin just got all the way to the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game, and they have some momentum. The Badgers are sitting at 22-13 on the year, and this team has beaten some great teams along the way.
The betting odds for this game have Wisconsin as a 5.5 point betting favorite, and the over/under is set at 145.5.
Dukes Are Explosive
The James Madison Dukes have been an extremely fun team to follow all season long as they come into this game on a 13 game winning streak. James Madison has proven to be a tough team to deal with this season, and they can put points on the board in a hurry.
This team is scoring over 84 points per game this season, and they can score points in a number of different ways. Terrence Edwards Jr. is leading the way with 17.4 points per game, but there are two other players averaging double-figures.
Defense hasn’t always been a strength of this team, but they have gotten enough stops when needed. The Dukes are facing a size disadvantage, and that is going to be something to check out in this matchup.
Badgers Must Make Shots
If the Wisconsin Badgers are going to avoid the upset in this game then they are going to have to make shots from the perimeter. Wisconsin is always a team with a ton of size, but it will take some great three-point shooting to come up with a win in this matchup.
A.J. Storr has had a magnificent season in his first in Madison as he is scoring 16.9 points per game so far this season. Steven Crowl is another big key in this matchup as he is averaging 11.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.
Wisconsin has been shooting the ball well of late, but the defense has been trending in the wrong direction. If the Badgers want to win then they will attempt to slow down the tempo in this game.
Badgers Win a Tight Battle
The James Madison Dukes have been a terrific story to follow all season long, but they are now facing a Wisconsin team with some momentum. James Madison can really score, but the size of Wisconsin is going to cause them some issues in this game.
The Badgers might not have a 13 game winning streak like James Madison, but they have been playing extremely well. Wisconsin knows that it can play with any team in the country, and they are ready to go on a big run.
Take the 5.5 points and bet on James Madison in this game, but it will be the Wisconsin Badgers that advance to the Second Round.
