James Madison vs. Wisconsin Prediction, Odds and Key Players for NCAA Tournament First Round (Take the Over)
With 30-plus wins, including 13 in a row, James Madison heads into March Madness looking to bust brackets as a first-round underdog against Wisconsin. No. 12 James Madison wrapped up the Sun Belt Title on Monday, March 11 in a blowout win (91-71) over Arkansas State. Can the Dukes win their first NCAA Tournament game (outside the First Four) since 1983?
No. 5 Wisconsin was stumbling down the stretch in the regular season before making a run in the Big Ten Tournament.
The Badgers reeled off three wins in three days, including an upset of top-seeded Purdue. Wisconsin lost to Illinois in the Big Ten title game, but are still playing some of their best ball when it matters most. Can they pull away on Friday? Here’s the betting breakdown of the first-round tilt with a best bet.
If you’re looking to bet on any NCAA game tonight, FanDuel Sportsbook has an amazing promotional offer. New users who sign up with the link below and wager $5 will receive $150 in bonus bets if their first bet wins.
Sign up for FanDuel now!
James Madison vs. Wisconsin Odds, Spread and Total
James Madison vs. Wisconsin Betting Trends
- James Madison is 18-14-1 ATS this season
- Wisconsin is 16-18-1 ATS this season
- James Madison is 2-1 ATS as an underdog this season
- Wisconsin is 10-12-1 ATS as a favorite this season
- The OVER is 17-16 in James Madison games this season
- The OVER is 23-12 in Wisconsin games this season
James Madison vs. Wisconsin How to Watch
- Date: Friday, March 22
- Game time: 9:40 p.m. EST
- Venue: Barclays Center
- How to watch (TV): CBS
- James Madison record: 31-3
- Wisconsin record: 22-13
James Madison vs. Wisconsin Key Players to Watch
James Madison
Xavier Brown: The 6-foot-2 sophomore guard averages 6.5 points and 2.6 rebounds per game but turned in big efforts in the Sun Belt Tournament to get the Dukes to March Madness. Brown scored 39 points in three conference tournament contests, including a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double in the championship game against Arkansas State.
Wisconsin
AJ Storr: The catalyst behind Wisconsin’s conference tournament run, Storr, Wisconsin’s leading scorer at 16.9 points per game, scored 74 in the final three Big Ten Tournament games. He added 17 rebounds in that stretch and went for 30 points in Wisconsin’s 70-61 victory over Northwestern in the quarterfinals.
James Madison vs. Wisconsin Prediction and Pick
James Madison plays at the No. 71 tempo in the nation and the Dukes’ offense has been on fire, scoring at least 80 points in eight of the last nine games.
A nice 11-day break will be nice for James Madison to have fresh legs for its fast-break style of play when they battle the Badgers. James Madison was the No. 1 scoring offense in the Sun Belt this season (84.4 points per game) while shooting a league-best 48% from the field.
James Madison is No. 34 in the country in effective field goal percentage, according to KenPom, and could put up big points against a Wisconsin defense that struggles in shooting defense (No. 275 in effective field goal percentage). From beyond the arc, James Madison is No. 41 in 3-point shooting and Wisconsin is one of the worst 3-point defenses in the country (No. 345).
This isn’t the usual Wisconsin team that needs to win slow-pace games in the 50s to advance in the bracket. The Badgers were in the top-half of the Big Ten in both scoring and shooting, ranking No. 82 in effective field goal percentage with great ball security. Both of these offenses can score in droves. Take the over in Friday’s first round.
Don't miss out on all the NCAA Tournament coverage withBetSided's March Madness page
Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.