The No.7-seeded Wisconsin Badgers (20-12) face off against the No.10-seeded Pittsburgh Panthers (21-11) in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Scottrade Center. The game gets underway at 6:50 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 18 and can be seen on TNT.
The Badgers fell to Nebraska 70-58 in the 2 of the Big Ten tournament. Vitto Brown was the best player for the Badgers, putting up 16 points, eight rebounds, and two steals. The Panthers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the 88-71 loss at the hands of North Carolina in the 3 of the Atlantic Coast tournament. Jamel Artis had a good shooting night, leading the team with 19 points.
Half-court execution will be at a premium as Wisconsin ranks 344th in the nation in possessions per game (63.7 possessions per game), while Pittsburgh is 293rd (66.7).
The Badgers are looking to build on their records of 20-12 Straight Up (SU) and 16-16 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have only managed a record of 3-7 ATS. The Badgers have limited opponents’ efforts from beyond the arc, allowing 5.0 three-pointers made per game.
On the other side, Pittsburgh has a SU record of 21-11 and an ATS record of 13-18. The Panthers convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking 16th in the nation at .754. The Panthers rarely make costly errors handling the ball. They have the 23rd-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the country at 1.45. Pittsburgh’s three-point defense is one of the top in the country, with opponents making only 6.0 shots from the three-point line per game.
This game will be the first meeting for Wisconsin and Pittsburgh in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – Pitt, ATS Winner – Pitt
Notes
“Wisconsin is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games “.
“Wisconsin is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Wisconsin’s last 9 games “.
The Pittsburgh Panthers rank 31st for their offensive rating of 114.0. The Wisconsin Badgers have a defensive rating of 100.5 (ranked 45th).
The Pittsburgh Panthers average a field goal percentage of 46.0% this season. The Wisconsin Badgers have a losing record of 4-8 when opponents have a FG% of 46.0% or greater.
The Wisconsin Badgers and the Pittsburgh Panthers both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Wisconsin is 232nd and 226th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Pittsburgh ranks 126th and 74th in these categories.
The Pittsburgh Panthers rank 13th in assists per game, making an average of 16.9. The Wisconsin Badgers are among the worst in the country with 11.6 assists per game (ranked 292nd).
Pittsburgh, the 75th-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 38.2 rebounds per game. Wisconsin does worse, ranked 243rd with 34.9.
The Wisconsin Badgers make an average of 5.9 steals per game. When the Pittsburgh Panthers allow 5 or more steals, they are a solid 13-8.
