The Michigan Wolverines welcome in the sixth-ranked Wisconsin Badgers tonight in Big Ten College Basketball action. The game is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPN. Currently the Betting Odds for the game have the Badgers favored on the road to get the win.
Wisconsin leads the Big Ten this season with a 5-1 record in the conference, tied with Indiana atop the standings. They've already piled up 17 wins on the year and are looking for a road win tonight. Michigan has been up and down all year, but is tied with Maryland for the second spot in the conference standings at 5-2. While the Wolverines have not played a tough schedule in the conference yet, it's hard to tell where they will end up without their best player in Caris LeVert, who will miss the remainder of the season with a broken foot. Wisconsin is dealing with its own injury as point guard Traevon Jackson fractured his foot, much like LeVert.
The Badgers, though, are loaded with talent and have a player of the year candidate in Frank Kaminsky, who averages 17 points, eight rebounds and better than two assists per game. Kaminsky could have a big game against a Michigan team that does not have a very good front line, but will certainly need to get solid games from Ricky Doyle and Mark Donnal down low. Look for Max Bielfeldt to play a lot of minutes tonight as well as the Wolverines try to find a way to slow down a Wisconsin team that also has Sam Dekker and Nigel Hayes to deal with tonight.
Michigan's going to have to shoot the basketball well to have any chance tonight. The Wolverines have been hot and cold all season when it comes to shooting and if they can't hit shots they have absolutely no chance.
Wisconsin has won 13 of the last 15 overall against Michigan, but the Wolverines have been playing well overall and have won six of their last eight games. Under John Beilein Michigan has been very tough to beat at home, especially recently — having lost only three conference games at the Crisler Center in three years. Tough games like this are even tougher when Michigan can't score points in the paint. The Wolverines average less than 21 points down there this season, the lowest mark of any power conference team in the country.
And without being able to do that all year, it's hard to see them starting tonight against a very good defensive team in Wisconsin. Derrick Walton Jr. and Zak Irvin are both going to have to step up for Michigan in this one, knocking down perimeter shots. Michigan has the potential to hang around in this one and unless they shoot a crazy percentage tonight, it's going to be an uphill battle all night. Wisconsin is very good at getting to the free-throw line, having made 50 more shots at the line than their opponents have attempted this season. That's amazing. If Michigan can't get to the foul line and score easy points, this game will be tough.
But this is the biggest game for Michigan all year. They don't have a single bigtime win on the schedule yet and have some terrible losses. Look for them to play well on national television.
Free Pick: Wisconsin 69, Michigan 63
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