Wisconsin vs. Northwestern odds: Win probability, final score prediction in Big Ten Tournament
Wisconsin and Northwestern are set for a quarterfinal showdown in the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament on Friday. And the projections and odds indicate the matchup should be fairly competitive.
Both teams enter the matchup as likely NCAA Tournament teams, but would almost assuredly lock up spots in the field with a win and a trip to the tournament semifinals. The winner of this game will face the winner of Michigan State–Purdue in the first quarterfinal of the day.
Check out how the odds and predictions shake out for this Big Ten men’s basketball tournament quarterfinal.
Odds for Wisconsin vs. Northwestern
Wisconsin opened as a slight favorite over Northwestern, favored to win by 3.5 points, according to FanDuel. The over/under is set at 137.5 combined points.
Wisconsin, in a stellar offensive performance, scored 87 points in a win on Thursday in the tournament. Northwestern has yet to play in Minneapolis this week.
Final score predictions for Wisconsin vs. Northwestern
KenPom Predicted final score: Wisconsin 72, Northwestern 69
KenPom Win probability (for Wisconsin): 59%
KenPom has this game fairly close to a toss up, but leans to the hot-shooting Badgers to get a close win. The two teams have played just once this season, a 71-63 win for the Badgers at home in mid-January.
How to watch Wisconsin vs. Northwestern
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET (approx), Friday, March 15
Channel: Big Ten Network, FuboTV (streaming)
Location: Minneapolis
The biggest thing to watch early between the two teams is whether Wisconsin’s white hot shooting from Thursday carries over into the quarterfinals.
The Badgers went 16-of-25 from 3 and assisted 25 of 31 made baskets as they pummeled Maryland in their first game of the tournament. And the Badgers got scoring contributions from all different parts of the lineup, including true freshman John Blackwell pouring in a game-high 18 points in the win.
For the Wildcats, injuries slowed what was otherwise a strong season down the stretch. However, the Wildcats still have star lead guard Boo Buie to marshal the troops. Averaging more than 18 points per game, if Buie gets going, Northwestern has a shot.
Either way, a trip to the conference tournament semifinals and another data point in favor of some strong NCAA Tournament seeding will be on the table when the Badgers and Wildcats meet in Minneapolis on Friday afternoon.