NCAA Basketball Sports Betting Wisconsin @ Michigan
Michigan finds itself building a winner quicker than many thought possible under coach John Beilein, who like Rich Rodriguez came to Ann Arbor from West Virginia and sought to remake the program. Wisconsin will try to upset the applecart with the fundamental style of play it exhibits under Bo Ryan.
Here are some of the NCAA basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
* WISC has won five of its last seven games SU
* WISC has covered four of its last six games
* WISC has played three of its last five games OVER the total
* WISC has won seven of its last nine road games SU
* MICH has won its last five games SU
* MICH is 5-1-1 ATS in its last seven games
* MICH has played four of its last six games OVER the total
Michigan is a team that had a difficult time getting adjusted to the new system installed by first-year coach John Beilein last year, and that resulted in some embarrassing moments as the players went through growing pains. Things have come together this year, though, as the Wolverines have already scored upsets over the likes of UCLA and Duke as we head into the Big Ten schedule. Manny Harris, who showed flashes of brilliance as a freshman last season but was very erratic, has come up big for Beilein, averaging close to 20 points a game and pulling down almost eight rebounds, which is a huge bonus when it comes from one of your guards. Junior forward DeShawn Sims has been the inside presence, with over nine boards per game, but Michigan has not been big on sending a lot of people to the boards. Michigan has a chance to make it a “Big Three” as they ease Laval Lucas-Perry, a transfer from Arizona, into the lineup.
Wisconsin lost a lot of ability and experience from last season to this one with Brian Butch, who was their best big man and Michael Flowers, who had been one of the Big Ten’s best defensive players over the previous couple of seasons. There is balance in this lineup, however. Marcus Landry, who has been a four-year player in Madison, provides some front court scoring (12.1 ppg), and Trevon Hughes (12.6 ppg) and Jason Bohannon (11.1 ppg) are also averaging in double digits. Jon Leuer, who comes exclusively off the bench, has given coach Bo Ryan the ability to have a dependable sixth man (9.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg).
There are a couple of problems with the Badgers. One of them is that, although there are people who can penetrate, there is not a real take-charge point guard. Indeed, this team has averaged only 11.3 assists per game, matching the number of turnovers. Wisconsin will also have to improve itself defensively, as Ryan’s team has been more generous than any Big Ten team in non-conference play with the exception of rebuilding Indiana. An interesting factor here, though, is that a coach like Ryan may just be able to slow down the pace enough to take the Wolverines, who are still very young, out of their game. Michigan wants this game to be very up-tempo, but Wisconsin hold opponents to just under 60 points a game. In last season’s Big Ten tournament, the Badgers hung a 51-34 defeat on Beilein and his team.
This is a situation where we feel confident in taking the points in BetUS NCAA college basketball online betting action, with the possibility of a road upset in this Big Ten lid-lifter.
