Can the Badgers pull off the upset against Arizona on Friday?
Fresh off an 87-56 win over the Appalachian State Mountaineers, the Wisconsin Badgers are set to face off against the Arizona Wildcats on Friday evening, with tip-off set for 8:00 p.m. at the Kohl Center.
The Badgers, standing at 3-0, had their best game of the season against Appalachian State last Sunday, overcoming a slow start with a 24-0 run and a 51-point second half.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats have started the year 2-0, blowing out both of their opponents, while scoring at least 90 points in each game.
What are all of the odds ahead of the game?
Odds(via FanDuel)
Prediction
The Wisconsin Badgers have a tough challenge here in the second half of a home-and-home against the Arizona Wildcats, as they lost 98-73 on the road in this matchup last year.
It’s an early season test for Wisconsin to assess their new-look roster, and it seems like a tough matchup, as Arizona plays with one of the highest paces in college basketball. It’ll be a different style of opponent for the Badgers, given that Arizona has the size to match the Badgers’ bigs, both with their starters and their depth.
I’m optimistic about the Badgers team, as headlined in our roundtable earlier today, but they’ll need to start fast to not play from behind against one of the best offenses in the country.
While many will point to the need to score, Wisconsin’s defense should be the bigger question mark in this one, as the Badgers have been inconsistent in that end thus far, especially to start games.
This one should be competitive, but I’ll take Arizona on the spread, as the 4.5-point mark seems too low for this game.
My prediction: Arizona -4.5
Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See fanduel.com/sportsbook for details.