#4 Badgers (24-9) vs #13 Grizzlies (25-6)
Well the Wisconsin Badgers have done it again. Early in the Big Ten season it looked like their run of tournament appearances might come to a close but this team is so well coached it seems like they are never down for very long.
#4 Wisconsin Badgers (24-9) vs #13 Montana Grizzlies (25-6)
Thursday March 15
East Region – Albuquerque, NM
2:10PM
Moneyline: No money line currently listed
Spread: Wisconsin -9.5
O/U: 118.5
Wisconsin
Never the most talented team, they are able to get opponents to play their game which counteracts perceived gaps in talent, athleticism or both.
I wouldn’t say they are Final Four material but they are hard to bet against.
The one advantage the Badgers has over pretty much every other team is at point guard. Jordan Taylor is an experienced player who has great insight into when he needs to score or distribute. He is especially effective because the Badgers are a good shooting team, especially from the line where they hit 74% of their shots.
In case you didn’t know Wisconsin led the nation in points allowed this year at 52ppg. Montana will be hard presses to exceed that total.
Montana
The Montana Grizzlies earned the bid out of the Big Sky Conference this year, where they lost just a single game during the regular season. Weber State was right behind them in the standings but they clobbered them in the conference tournament, winning by 20. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Thursday they have a date with the Badgers and some are pegging this game as a potential upset.
The Badgers style may keep the Grizzlies in the game but I expect that they will dominate.
Montana didn’t play a ranked team all season long so it is tough to say how this team will hold up of Wisconsin’s calibre. Their toughest game of the year might have been their first, which was a 6 point loss to Colorado State who snuck into the tournament.
I am all for the little guys but in some ways I think that this team might be too similar to Wisconsin to beat them at their own game. They shouldn’t get pushed around down low though, not with 7 footer Derek Selvig in the middle.
Spread Pick: Wisconsin -9.5
O/U Pick: Over
Score Prediction: Wisconsin 71 – Montana 57
