The Arizona Wildcats take on the Wisconsin Badgers in Madison, WI. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on Peacock.
The Wildcats are favored by 3.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -180. The total is also set at 152.5 points.
Here’s my Arizona vs. Wisconsin predictions and college basketball picks for November 15, 2024.
Arizona vs Wisconsin Prediction
My Pick: Under 152.5
My Arizona vs Wisconsin best bet is on the under, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Arizona vs Wisconsin Odds
| Arizona Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -112 | 152.5 -110 / -110 | -180 |
| Wisconsin Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -108 | 152.5 -110 / -110 | +150 |
- Arizona vs Wisconsin spread: Arizona -3.5
- Arizona vs Wisconsin over/under: 152.5 points
- Arizona vs Wisconsin moneyline: Arizona -180, Wisconsin +150
- Arizona vs Wisconsin best bet: Under 152.5
Spread
I would take Arizona on the spread at -4.5.
Moneyline
I'm passing on the moneyline.
Over/Under
I love the under.
My Pick:Â Under 152.5
Arizona vs Wisconsin College Basketball Betting Preview
Arizona Basketball
I'm a big believer in Tommy Lloyd, who ushered the Wildcats to a pair of Sweet 16 appearances in the past three seasons. But this team is by far his most unique in any of his four years in Tucson.
Whether by design or by sheer happenstance, Lloyd tailored his roster to fit the Big 12 style of play. The Wildcats have to face teams like Houston, Iowa State and Texas Tech, who play with toughness and elite defense.
Arizona is now in the same discussion on that end of the floor.
The trade-off for Arizona is shooting. Through two games, starters other than Caleb Love have combined for just three made 3s. I have a feeling that'll be a trend for the Wildcats. KJ Lewis is an awesome defender, but isn't a reliable shooter. Jaden Bradley is an elite driver and defends, but he isn't a shooter, either.
Love is the most boom-or-bust player in college hoops. He's been that type of player from his first day on campus at North Carolina, and it hasn't changed. Love just needs to see the first few go down, and it could be a smooth 30-piece for the super-senior guard.
He's the one player in this game who could go off for a big scoring night on either side.
Arizona's identity needs to be on the defensive end. That's not a bad thing, either. Just look at Auburn, Iowa State and Houston; thanks to elite defenses, all three have a real shot to win the title. Arizona has the pieces to defend like those squads.
In this matchup, Arizona's size and athleticism could cause problems for Wisconsin. That's not the Badgers' strong suit, and Arizona has two guards (Bradley and Lewis) who have the build of a linebacker. I'd expect a lot of straight line drives from Bradley.
We'll see if the Badgers decide to pack the paint and force perimeter jumpers, or if they go zone.
Arizona had two easy wins to begin the year against KenPom's No. 269 Old Dominion and No. 308 Canisius. I wouldn't take much from those two showings, but Arizona didn't play with its food, which is worth something.
Wisconsin Basketball
The Badgers have yet to show me they're a tournament-level team. Though they rank No. 39 in KenPom, Wisconsin looks mediocre and has some inflated offensive numbers due to weak competition.
The Badgers trailed to Holy Cross at halftime in their season-opening win and only beat Montana State by 12. At least Wisconsin finally had a wire-to-wire win, beating App State by 31 in its last game.
One of the main problems with Wisconsin is its point guard play. Neither of the true point guards on the roster (Daniel Freitag and Camren Hunter) play meaningful minutes, which puts the Badgers in a bind.
The options are playing a non-one guard like Max Klesmit at the point or run the offense through 7-footer Steven Crowl. That's been a frequent occurrence since Crowl leads the team in assists.
John Tonje, a transfer from Missouri, is the unsung hero for Wisconsin so far in 2024, averaging over 17 points in three games.
We'll see if Tonje's scoring surge can continue with the improvement in the competition. He's never been that guy at Colorado State or Missouri, so I'm not banking on his dominant scoring continuing.
The path to victory for Greg Gard's squad includes slowing down the tempo and dominating the paint. Crowl (10 PPG) and Nolan Winter (10.3 PPG) could be quite advantageous. Arizona can't match Wisconsin's interior size at the four, so Crowl could really thrive.
Lastly, opponents shoot 3s on 45% of their field goals against Wisconsin's defense. Maybe it's to avoid the dueling bigs in Winter/Crowl from swatting shots, but that'll play to Wisconsin's benefit.
I foresee a lower-scoring showdown than the numbers indicate, with inflated offensive numbers stemming from the two teams playing weak opponents.
Arizona vs Wisconsin Betting Analysis
The total feels way too high.
Between Arizona's stout defense and offensive questions, it feels much safer taking the under here.
Wisconsin wants a slower-paced, low-scoring game anyways, so scoring less plays into the Badgers' favor.
The Wildcats aren't playing Old Dominion again, so scoring 100 points will not be easy.
