Belmont Bruins vs. Wisconsin Badgers

Betting Odds

Point Spread: Wisconsin(-4.5)
Game Total Line: (126)
(wagering lines available at 5Dimes)

The Belmont Bruins, from the Atlantic Sun Conference step up in weight class this Thursday night when they take on the Big Ten Wisconsin Badgers in a second round game in the Southeast Region of this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Tip-off from the McKale Center in Tucson, AZ. is set for 7:27 p.m. and the game will be broadcast nationally on truTV.

Belmont may be from a small conference but it brings some pretty big credentials into the tournament as a 13 seed. The Bruins rolled through their conference tournament as the top seed with three one-sided victories including an 87-46 romp over North Florida as an 18-point favorite in the championship game. They have an overall record of 30-4 straight-up (7-4 against the spread) and went 19-1 SU in the Atlantic Sun.

The Bruins feature a deep bench with nine players averaging at least five points a game led by Sophomore guard Ian Clark, who is averaging 12.4 points a game. Junior forward-center Mick Hedgepeth leads the team in rebounds with six a game and junior guard Drew Hanlen leads the team in assists with four.

Belmont is shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from three-point range. It has been solid from the foul-line; completing 73.7 percent of its attempts. The Bruins are averaging 36 rebounds and 80.4 points a game. They have scored 70 points or more in 11 of their last 14 games.

Wisconsin was beaten by Ohio State 93-65 as an eight-point road underdog in its last regular season game, but the real cause for concern was its 36-33 loss to Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals as a 7 ½-point favorite. It is hard to know what to expect from the Badgers in this game after such an ugly performance in the lowest scoring game in the 14-year history of the tournament. Wisconsin finished the season 23-8 SU overall (15-12 ATS) and 13-5 in conference play.

Senior forward Jon Leuer and junior guard Jordan Taylor are combining for close to 37 points a game and scored 26 of the Badgers 33 points in the loss to the Lions. Leuer leads the team in rebounds with 7.3 a game and Taylor is averaging a team-high 4.7 assists.

Wisconsin is averaging 68 points a game and shooting 44.5 percent from the field. It is hitting 37.1 percent of its three-point shots and have been lights-out from the free-throw line; completing 82.4 percent of its attempts. One area of concern for the Badgers has been under the boards, where they have managed just 32 rebounds a game.

Belmont has played very few games this season with a published line but is 3-3 ATS in its last six games overall with the total staying ‘under’ in four of them.

Wisconsin is 1-4 ATS in its last five games on the road and 2-5 ATS in its last seven games overall. The total has gone ‘over’ in three of its last four games.

Against the Spread Game Pick

There will quite a few people picking the 13-4 upset on their bracket sheet but it is not without good cause. The Badgers look nothing like the team that knocked-off Ohio State in early February, while Belmont rolled to seven double-digit victories in its last eight games. The level of competition is not the same, but this team knows how to win. The low point spread is designed to shift some money towards Wisconsin, so avoid taking the bait by sticking with the Bruins in this one.
Take Belmont +4.5 at Beted where you can bet using your checking account!