Badgers Will Whip Wolverines In Big 10 Opener

Michigan vs. Wisconsin, 9:00 ET

We didn't have a college hoops play yesterday because, well, the slate was kind of garbage. It was a smaller amount of games, no big name team was really catching my eye (not that it is a prerequisite), and I felt I had a better edge on a hockey game that I picked out. Today we return to the hardwood and look to make a bit of dough on a game between some Big 10 players as the Michigan Wolverines take on the Wisconsin Badgers. 

Michigan is quietly putting together a very good campaign to start their year, entering this contest with a 6-1 record. Their schedule to this point hasn't been ridiculously difficult, but it has seen them face some decent competition. They opened the season by routing Cleveland State but were narrowly defeated by Wake Forest in the next one. They played TCU in the next game and rebounded with a nice victory. After they took on Miami Ohio and Tarleton State without much of an issue, they faced Virginia Tech and Xavier in a couple of games. Both of them seemed like they would give Michigan a challenge, but neither put up a true fight. The Wolverines are a good offense with balanced scoring. So far, they've already had three different players lead the team in scoring at least twice. Defensively, they are pretty stingy and have allowed 70 or more points just once in the season, it was tin their lone loss. This game will be a challenge, having to travel to Wisconsin and face a talented team that can score with the best of them.

Nov 27, 2024; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Michigan Wolverines center Vladislav Goldin (50) reacts after a play against the Xavier Musketeers in the second half  at Suncoast Credit Union Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Wisconsin has started to climb the ranks after beginning the season with an 8-0 record. This is not their first test of the season, but it is a stretch where they will need to play three straight very tough opponents as they have Marquette and Illinois after this contest. After three games against low-level opponents, they hosted #9, at the time, Arizona and were able to beat them by 15. This was a great effort and showcased the offensive prowess that Wisconsin has. When they get hot, they are very hard to stop, and being at home gave them the leverage they needed to win that game. Since that game, they haven't had to face anyone that was a true threat, but they did play a couple of decent teams in UCF and Pittsburgh. Wisconsin was able to win both of those games without too much of a sweat and they did it on a neutral court. The team is paced by guard John Tonje, who is averaging 22.9 points per game, good for seventh in the nation at the moment. He is shooting amazingly well from all three levels, and has 50/45/93 splits at the moment. Michigan will have it's hands full trying to stop Tonje.

This game will go to the Badgers. There is very little that I see in terms of Michigan being able to keep pace with them. I think that Michigan is a good team, and while they've played away from home, they really weren't a road team. Wisconsin will take the Big 10 opener and win by margin. Book the Badgers to beat the Spartans by at least four points in this one. 

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