The No. 19 Wisconsin Badgers (17-6, 9-3 Big 10) visit No. 7 Michigan to play the Wolverines (21-2, 10-2 Big 10) in a game that has the potential to be low-scoring. The game gets underway at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 9, 2019.
Wisconsin Badgers vs. Michigan Wolverines ATS Prediction
In the Badgers’ last outing, they beat the Minnesota Golden Gophers, 56-51. The Badgers had a turnover percentage of 8.7 (better than their season average of 12.9), while the Golden Gophers had a free throw rate of 0.175 (below their season average of 0.309). Wisconsin was led by Ethan Happ, who led the team in scoring with 15 points on 6-for-13 shooting.
The Wolverines were victorious over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in their last matchup, 77-65. The Wolverines had a turnover percentage of 9.7 (better than their season average of 12.8) and had an effective field goal percentage of 0.543 (above their season average of 0.517). Ignas Brazdeikis was the top scorer from either team with 23 points on 8-for-14 shooting from the field.
This will be the second game of the season between these two squads. Happ scored a game-high 26 points in the first matchup, in which the Badgers beat the Wolverines 64-54. He also had 10 rebounds and seven assists. The Badgers had a much better turnover percentage (15.1 vs. 21.4) and had a better free throw rate (0.121 vs. 0.093).
Baskets could be hard to come by as a pair of the country’s top defenses battle. Michigan currently ranks third in defensive efficiency (87.1) and Wisconsin is 17th (93.2). Additionally, second chance points figure to be tough to come by for the Badgers. They rank 319th in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage at 23.6 percent, while the Wolverines are 29th-best on the defensive glass (defensive rebounding percentage of 76.0 percent).
Wisconsin vs. Michigan Pick
Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Wisconsin, ATS Winner – Wisconsin, O/U – Under
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Michigan ranks 144th in three pointers attempted per game (22.6) while Wisconsin ranks 231st (20.0).
The Wolverines average 4.3 blocks per game, which ranks 45th in the NCAA. The Badgers rank 117th in blocks allowed per game (3.5).
Michigan leads the nation with 3.7 steals allowed per game while Wisconsin is 15th with 4.8 steals allowed per game.
The Badgers and Wolverines average 9.8 assists allowed per game, which ranks eighth in the country.
Bettings Trends:
The Badgers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 10.4, up from 10.3 for the season.
During their last five games, the Wolverines have scored an average of 65.8 points per game (5.3 below their season average) and allowed an average of 58.2 points per game (0.9 above their season average).
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