Are the Badgers on upset watch on Thursday against an NCAA Tournament team?
Fresh off an 85-61 win over the Holy Cross Crusaders, the Wisconsin Badgers are set to face off against the Montana State Bobcats on Thursday, looking to remain undefeated as they have a nice stretch at home to begin the year. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. at the Kohl Center.
The Badgers, standing at 1-0, had a slow start against Holy Cross, but rebounded in the second half to blow out their opponent for a win in the opener.
Meanwhile, the Bobcats are starting off their season on Thursday, and are fresh off a 17-17 season that saw them earn a spot in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament, where they ultimately lost to Grambling.
What are all of the odds ahead of the game?
Odds(via FanDuel)
Prediction
In the opener, I predicted Holy Cross to cover the surly 26.5-point spread against Wisconsin, as the Badgers were moving around a lot of pieces and are still getting to their expected form on both sides of the ball.
That prediction proved to be true initially, as Holy Cross exploded out to a 21-5 lead in the first half before Wisconsin came marching back, ultimately winning by 24, but falling just short of the cover in the opener.
Here, Wisconsin’s odds of winning are slightly lower, as they are 17.5-point favorites against Montana State, who return three starters in wing Tyler Patterson, forward Brian Goracke, and forward Brandon Walker.
In addition, the Bobcats bring in Washington State transfer Jabe Mullins and USC transfer Max Agbonkpolo to the fold, creating an interesting starting lineup of players all above 6’5.
Last year, Montana State excelled from three, shooting 36.7 percent from deep, but they do lose top scorer Robert Ford III, who had an excellent season last year.
Still, Patterson and Goracke were highly efficient on good volume last year, which could present a challenge for Wisconsin, whose defense struggled early against Montana State.
While Wisconsin did have a strong second half, I think they’ll still be putting things together early on, and I don’t know how efficiently they’ll shoot from three with a bigger lineup against them on the perimeter.
Give me the opponent to cover once again, as I’m going with Montana State at +17.5.
My prediction: Montana State +17.5.
Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See fanduel.com/sportsbook for details.