Whenever a team hits the tournament as the nation's second-best three-point shooting team, an upset is possible.
That's what has Wisconsin fans and bettors worried as the Badgers face No. 13 Belmont Bruins, champions of the Atlantic Sun and making their fourth tourney appearance in seven years.
The Badgers are 23-8 on the season, and just one of two teams to defeat Ohio State. The Bruins, meanwhile, are 30-4 and anxious to bring their fast-paced, long-ball show to the show and to bracket games like Sportsbook Bracket Buster.
View Belmont vs Wisconsin Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
On the Sportsbook NCAAB line for this matchup, Wisconsin sat as 6-point favorites.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
According to new college basketball power rankings here, it's the No. 117-ranked Badgers and the No. 37-rated Bruins in this matchup. Computer formulas aimed at predicting NCAAB scores point to a 86-77 win for the Bruins on Thursday, although our computer is not all that wise to conference style differential.
How They Match Up:
The game also pits Wisconsin's No. 191-ranked offense, averaging 68.2 PPG, against a Bruins defense that ranks No. 35 at 61.9 PPG. The Badgers field goal percentage has averaged 44.5% so far, less than the Bruins marksmen have achieved on the year, 46.4% per game.
Defensively, Belmont features the nation's No. 16-rated defense on the road, allowing 62.7 points per game. Wisconsin, meanwhile, comes in at No. 169 nationally in scoring at home.
Last time out for Belmont, they were an 87-46 Sportsbook as they battled North Florida at home. They covered in the match as a 18-point favorite. Belmont cruised to victory on Saturday, running North Florida out of the gym and running up an 87-46 score at Mercer University Center.
Wisconsin was a 36-33 loser in their most recent outing against Penn State. They failed to cover the 7–point spread as favorites.
Wisconsin Badgers Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 5-4
After playing Penn State are 7-3
After a loss are 9-1
A few Bruins at Badgers trends to consider:
Wisconsin is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Wisconsin's last 8 games
Wisconsin is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
