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American Eagles vs. Wisconsin Badgers Gambling & NCAA Handicapping Prediction

NCAA Tournament – Eagles vs Badgers Pick

The 15th-seeded American University Eagles are slated to face the No. 2 Wisconsin Badgers Thursday afternoon, and while it wouldn’t be advised to choose the Eagles as your Cinderella team this season, there are reasons to believe they could cover the spread in their second-round matchup. [ad-4468020]

2014 NCAA Tournament Free Picks
No. 15 American University (20-12, 13-5 Patriot) @ No. 2 Wisconsin (26-7, 12-6 Big Ten)
Thursday, March 20 12:40 PM ET TruTV
West Region – Second Round
Spread: Wisconsin -13
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ATS Matchup Insight | CP Insider Gambling Preview

American University

The American Eagles are an incredibly efficient team. They may only score 63.9 points per game on the year, but they shot the ball 49.5 percent from the field, which is good enough for seventh in the entire country.

Defensively is where this team made its mark in 2013-14. It was led by Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year Tony Wroblicky, and it allowed just 58.6 points per contest—the eighth-best number in the nation.

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The big question is whether or not Wisconsin’s offensive fire power shows up.

That will determine how close this game truly is when the clock strikes zero, and how close American University can come to pulling an upset.
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Wisconsin

Many people are already looking toward a third-round matchup between Wisconsin and either No. 7 Oregon or No. 10 BYU, but you can’t ignore the defensive prowess that the American Eagles bring to the table.

The Badgers year after year are known for their strong defense, but this year’s team has the offensive firepower to complement the tradition.

The hope for Wisconsin is that a subpar strength of schedule for American University keeps them underprepared for what the Tournament will hold, especially with the Badgers having six players who consistently score between eight and about 14 points per night.

The truth is that this game is going to go down as a battle between talent and potential. The American Eagles have all the potential in the world, and quite frankly, they’re ahead of schedule when it comes to most people’s preseason projections.

That said, Wisconsin is the superior team when looking at roster depth, and it should walk away with a win.

A few trends to consider here are as follows: In their last three games overall, American is 3-0 against the spread. The score has also gone under the projected total in those three outings, giving us reason to believe the Eagles could keep this one low-scoring and close until the end.

Wisconsin is also 1-4 ATS in its last five outings.

They’ll have a “win is a win” mentality in this one, giving them a closer victory than some project.

Prediction: American University +13

By Cappers Picks

Articles on CappersPicks.com are written by Q (the Head Honcho) at Cappers Picks or by our resident "in house" handicapper Razor Ray Monohan! Enjoy the free picks folks! "Pad that bankroll one day at a time!"