The No. 9 Wisconsin Badgers (10-2, 4-1 Big Ten) travel to take on the No. 7 Michigan Wolverines (10-0, 5-0) in a top 10 conference contest on Tuesday night. The Big Ten’s marquee matchup tips off at 7 pm ET inside Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Michigan is a 3.5-point home favorite in the conference showdown, according to oddsmakers.
What to Know – Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin has been victorious in seven of its last eight games, including a 4-1 mark in conference play. The Badgers are coming off a double-overtime victory at home over the Indiana Hoosiers last Thursday. Wisconsin has won five games over teams ranked in the KenPom top 50 this season.
The Badgers enter the week averaging 76.5 points per game behind 45.3 percent shooting from the floor. Wisconsin is one of the top defensive teams in the country, and the best in the Big Ten, holding opponents to 61.5 points per game and 38.9 percent shooting.
Senior guard D’Mitrik Trice has heated up over the last couple of weeks, averaging 22.3 points per game in the previous four contests. On the season, Trice is averaging a team-high 14.8 points per game behind 45.3 percent shooting from the floor and a sizzling 42.1 percent shooting from the three-point line.
Wisconsin is 6-6 against the spread this season, and the total has gone over in eight of its 12 games, including six of its last eight. Additionally, the Badgers are a successful 4-1 against the spread over their last five road tilts.
What to Know – Michigan Wolverines
The Wolverines head into this matchup as one of the few remaining unbeaten teams in Division I. Michigan put a hurting on Northwestern (85-66) and Minnesota (82-57), both at home, before having their game against Penn State last weekend postponed. Michigan sits atop the league standings with that undefeated conference mark.
Michigan scores 82.5 points per game on 52.5 percent shooting from the floor. The field-goal percentage ranks sixth in Division I. The Wolverines surrender 67.0 points per game and hold teams to 37.5 percent shooting.
Freshman center Hunter Dickinson averages a team-high 18.0 points per game and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the fifth time this season for last week’s play. In conference play, the big man is pouring in 21.2 points per game. Dickinson is doing all of this behind 74.6 percent shooting from the field, one of the country’s top percentages.
The Wolverines are 8-2 against the spread this season, and the total has gone over in six of their 10 contests. Recent trends show that Michigan is 4-1 against the spread against conference opponents.
The Pick Is In
Michigan has rolled through the early slate of conference foes and shows no signs of slowing down. The postponement of the Penn State game gave the Wolverines a break to prep for the Badgers.
Wisconsin has only played two road games this season and just one out of its home state. Dickinson is the difference in this one, as Wolverines take care of business at home.
The Pick: Michigan -3.5
