Out of the Big Ten, the Iowa Hawkeyes will head to Madison Wisconsin to take on the Wisconsin Badgers. The Hawkeyes come into the game looking for the road upset. Iowa is 16-13 on the season, and 8th in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes are 2-7 on the road, but come into the game on a two game winning streak.
For Greg Gard, and his Wisconsin Badgers, they are looking to get back on track. The Badgers have dropped two straight games. Wisconsin is 22-7 on the season, but have won 14 out of 15 at home. Wisconsin is a pretty large favorite in this game. The Badgers can be had at -9.5 over the Hawkeyes on Thursday. Find the updated college basketball point spreads here.
Here’s A Closer Look At The Hawkeyes Vs Badgers Lines, Expert Pick & TV Info
When: Thursday, March 2, 2017
Where: Kohl Center, Madison, Wisconsin
Stream Option: NCAA Live
Odds: Wisconsin -9.5
Why Bet on Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Badgers are needing a win to get back on track. The Badgers finish the season at home against Minnesota, but that’s not an easy task against one of the hottest teams in the Big Ten. The Badgers are scoring more than 73 points per game, but the big ticket for Wisconsin has been their defense. Wisconsin is allowing just 62.1 per game.
The Badgers top scorer this season has been Ethan Happ. Happ was one of the top players in the conference for most of the season. He is scoring more than 14 points per game. Wisconsin’s two game losing streak came with back to back road losses. The Badgers have also dropped four out of the last five games.
Why Bet on Iowa
The Iowa Hawkeyes would love to keep their winning streak going. Iowa has won two straight and are at home against Penn State to finish the regular season. The Hawkeyes need these wins, and several in the Big Ten tournament to have any chance at the NCAA Tournament. Iowa is 8-8 in Big Ten Conference play.
The Hawkeyes are led in scoring by guard Peter Jok. Jok is scoring more than 20 points per game, and Iowa is scoring 80.6 per game. The Hawkeyes defense has been pretty poor this season, allowing 77.7 per game. That ranks 298th in the country. Iowa is 11th in the country, dishing out 17.3 assists per game.
Expert Pick & Score Prediction
The Wisconsin Badgers need a bounce back win. While the Badgers are unlikely to win the Big Ten Conference, they will still be a favorite to win the conference tournament. The Badgers have been there and done that with March games. Look for the Badgers to shoot the basketball well in this game on Thursday.
Iowa is very young, which means they really struggle on the road. While Fran McCaffrey and the Hawkeyes have surged as of late, they are in big trouble in this game. This will be a double digit win for the Badgers on Thursday.
