Big Ten foes will collide when the Wisconsin Badgers (14-9) play the Nebraska Cornhuskers (13-11) at Kohl Center. The game begins at 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 10 and can be seen on BTN.
The Badgers enter this game hoping for similar success after beating Ohio State 79-68 in their last matchup. Nigel Hayes was the team’s high scorer with 21 points on 6-for-15 shooting. The Cornhuskers, meanwhile, are coming off an 87-63 win over Rutgers in their last outing. Andrew White III was the team’s top scorer, posting 21 points on 7-for-15 shooting.
Over the last five games, Hayes has been playing at a high level for the Badgers. During that stretch, he has averaged 21.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 1.0 three-pointer.
The Badgers look to build on their records of 14-9 Straight Up (SU) and 11-12 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 7-3 ATS over their last 10 games. The Badgers have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 75.3 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 69.6 points per game. Crossing over to the defensive side of the court, it’s been a struggle for opposing teams to score on the Badgers. The 64.9 points that Wisconsin’s defense allows per game makes them the 26th-ranked defense in the country. The Badgers have limited opponents’ efforts from beyond the arc, allowing 6.0 three-pointers made per game. Not making mistakes with the ball is a staple of the Wisconsin offense, which averages just 11.3 turnovers per game.
On the other side, the Cornhuskers have 13-11 SU and 12-9 ATS records. Nebraska performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 7-3 record.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time these conference rivals played, Wisconsin won, bringing its SU record to 6-1 over Nebraska in their most recent games. The teams are even ATS, with a 3-3-1 record. Wisconsin had the advantage in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) two times over the last five matchups. Nebraska has never had the edge in all three categories.
Predictions: SU Winner – Wisc, ATS Winner – Wisc
Notes
“Wisconsin is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games “.
“Wisconsin is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 4 of Wisconsin’s last 6 games “.
“Wisconsin is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home”.
“Wisconsin is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home”.
“The total has gone OVER in 4 of Wisconsin’s last 5 games at home”.
“Wisconsin is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Nebraska”.
Wisconsin holds a 6-4 record this season against teams in the Big Ten Conference. Nebraska is 5-6 in conference matchups.
Nebraska averages 74.3 points per game, placing the team just 128th in the nation. Wisconsin ranks 26th in points allowed, giving up 64.9 points per game.
Nebraska won its last game by a 24-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Wisconsin is 3-0. Nebraska is 7-1 in blowouts this season.
With 64.4 possessions and 1.081 points per possession, the Wisconsin Badgers perform worse on both metrics than the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Nebraska averages 68.0 possessions and 1.093 points per possession.
Wisconsin has an average effective field goal percentage of 48.4%. Nebraska is a losing 4-9 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Wisconsin Badgers attempt 17.0 three point field goals per game and the Nebraska Cornhuskers attempt 18.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, Wisconsin is 3-4, while Nebraska has a subpar record of 3-9.
Nebraska makes an average of 7.5 steals per game. Wisconsin has an outstanding 6-1 record when it allows at least 7 steals.
