The Badgers can make a strong case to get back in the Top 25 with a win in the March 2nd Illinois at Wisconsin betting matchup. UW had risen to as high as #6 in the nation, but are struggling a bit after dropping six of their last eight.
The #13 Fighting Illini are +2.5 underdogs on the road in Madison on Saturday afternoon. Illinois has won four of their last five, scoring 95+ points in three of those victories. A whopping 86% of public betting is on the Badgers in this matchup mostly due to UW’s strong record at the Kohl Center this season.
Why Illinois Has Value at +2.5
Just reading the consensus betting, having over 85% of the public on one side sometimes automatically triggers a contrarian play. That can especially be true when you have #13 Illinois visiting an unranked team even though it is tough to win on the road in the Big Ten.
Another thing that gives Illinois value on Saturday is that they’ve won six straight in the head to head series. That record includes the Fighting Illini winning in the last three trips to Madison.
Aside from betting consensus and past trends, Illinois just might be the better team here. They are 2nd in the Big Ten behind Purdue and have the league’s #2 scoring offense at 84.5 ppg. Terrence Shannon, Jr. scores 21.9 ppg and has hit for 27+ in five of his last six. The Badgers have the 5th worst scoring offense in the B10.
Why Wisconsin Has Value at -2.5
The Badgers have dropped six of their last eight, but all but one of those losses have come on the road where Wisconsin is 3-8 on the season. On the flip side, UW has gone 13-2 at the Kohl Center with their only losses coming against top 10 teams Purdue (75-69) and Tennessee (80-70).
Illinois is just 4-5 on the road this season, but they’ve also had some defensive struggles at home the last two games in a 95-85 win over Iowa and most recently a 105-97 victory against Minnesota on Wednesday. There’s a good chance the Badgers can break the 75 point mark for just the second time in the last 9 games in this matchup.
Illinois has some potent scorers in Shannon, Jr. and Coleman Hawkins, but A.J. Storr can hit 20+ any given night for the Badgers while Tyler Wahl had 18 two games ago against Maryland.
Free March 2nd Illinois at Wisconsin Betting Preview
There are two major factors point to an Illinois lean in this matchup – the first being the success they’ve had in Madison recently and the fact that so many people are betting on the Badgers in this spot. Shannon, Jr. and Hawkins are the two best scorers in this game which should propel the Fighting Illini to a big road win.
Free Pick: Illinois +2.5
