Wisconsin vs. Rutgers CBB Picks & Predictions – January 6th

Wisconsin Badgers (11-3 SU, 8-6 ATS) vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (8-6 SU, 5-8-1 ATS)

When: Monday, January 6th, 7:00 PM (ET)

Where: Jersey Mike’s Arena, NJ, Piscataway

Where: Jersey Mike’s Arena, NJ, Piscataway

TV: FS1

Point Spread: WISC -1.5/RUTGER +1.5

Total: 156.5

Money Line: Wisconsin Badgers -127/+105

Notable Injuries

Badgers

• Riccardo Greppi (Questionable) Undisclosed

Scarlet Knights

• Dylan Harper (Questionable) Undisclosed

Recent Form

Wisconsin improved to 11-3 on the season with a dominant 116-85 win over Iowa on Friday, January 3rd. Playing at home, the Badgers were -6.5 point favorites and covered the spread comfortably. The game’s total points reached 201, well over the 162.5 O/U line.

Leading 54-43 at halftime, Wisconsin pulled away in the 2nd half, outscoring Iowa 62-42.

Rutgers dropped to 8-6 on the season after an 84-74 road loss to Indiana on Thursday. The Scarlet Knights entered the game as +7.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread.

After trailing 41-34 at halftime, Rutgers scored 40 points in the 2nd half but allowed 43. The game’s total points of 158 went over the pre-game O/U line of 153.5.

Analysis

Wisconsin’s Wisconsin’s offense was firing on all cylinders, putting up 116 points with a 64.5% field goal percentage. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 80.6%, thanks to hitting 67.7% from beyond the arc, making 21 of 31 threes.

John Blackwell led the way with 32 points and eight rebounds, shooting 6 of 10 from deep. The Badgers dished out 26 assists, with Blackwell contributing 5, and hit 88.2% of their free throws, going 15 for 17 from the line.

Wisconsin’s Wisconsin’s defense struggled, giving up 85 points on 64% shooting from the field. They allowed 40 made baskets on 62 attempts.

From three-point range, the Badgers gave up 21 threes on 31 attempts, a 67% shooting performance. They also sent the opponent to the line 17 times, where they hit 15 free throws.

In their latest game, Rutgers put up 74 points, shooting 44.3% from the field and 28.6% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage stood at 49.2%, with a 52.5% success rate on two-point attempts. At the free-throw line, they connected on 60.9% of their shots, and they grabbed seven offensive rebounds.

Ace Bailey was the standout performer, scoring 39 points on 55.2% shooting, including 50.0% from three-point range. Myles Rice added 21 points, while Oumar Ballo contributed 17 points and 12 rebounds. Rutgers finished with just seven assists as a team.

Even though Rutgers gave up 84 points, their defense held the opposing team to just 38% shooting from the field. They limited their opponent to 35% shooting on two-point attempts, with the other team making 16 of 45 shots from inside the arc.

From three-point range, the other team shot 44%, hitting 12 of 27 attempts. Rutgers also sent them to the free-throw line 25 times, where they converted 16 free throws for 64%. The Scarlet Knights allowed 18 offensive rebounds in the game.

Betting Trends

• In their last five road games, Wisconsin has averaged 80 points per game while allowing 83. The team’s record in this stretch was 2-3 while going 3-2.
• In their last ten games at home, the Scarlet Knights have a straight-up record of 1-9 while going 1-8-1 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 70 points per game in these contests.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Scarlet Knights have gone 2-8 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 0-10.
• In their last three games as the betting favorite, the Badgers have a strong straight-up record of 3-0. In addition, their ATS record was 2-1 in these scenarios.

Joe’s Pick To Cover The Spread

Currently, the Badgers are the slight -1.5 road favorites vs Rutgers for Monday night’s matchup. Wisconsin is sitting at 11-3 and dominated Iowa on Friday, while Rutgers lost to an inconsistent Indiana squad. Look for the Badgers to keep things rolling on Monday, and I like them to win and cover.