The 15th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers (10-2) travel to E.A. Diddle Arena to go head-to-head with the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (6-6). The Badgers look to lengthen their five-game winning streak. The game starts at 5:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 29, 2018, and will air on CBS Sports Network.
Wisconsin Badgers vs. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Betting Odds
In their last matchup, the Hilltoppers got blown out by the 25th-ranked Washington Huskies, 73-55, while the Badgers easily got past the Coppin State Eagles, 85-63.
Wisconsin played a nearly perfect game. They had a turnover percentage of 6.5 and a free throw rate of 0.377. For those same stats, Coppin State was 17.5 and 0.169, respectively. Western Kentucky, on the other hand, had a better effective field goal percentage (0.425 vs. 0.438). Charles Bassey played well for Western Kentucky, putting up 11 points and 12 rebounds. Wisconsin, meanwhile, was led by Ethan Happ, who racked up 10 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds. This gave him his zeroth triple-double this year.
The Badgers won the sole game between these two teams last season, 81-80. Wisconsin had a much better free throw rate (0.255 vs. 0.153). Western Kentucky, meanwhile, had a better turnover percentage (15.8 vs. 19.7). This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams.
The Badgers’ Happ has been playing at a high level over his last five games, averaging 0 points per game. Meanwhile, Taveion Hollingsworth has averaged 0 points during that same time frame for the Hilltoppers.
A focal point for the Western Kentucky offense is getting to the free throw line. The Hilltoppers rank 30th in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.300), but Wisconsin is among the best in the country at keeping opponents away from the charity stripe (ranking 10th by yielding a FTA rate of 0.155). Also, the 26th-ranked offense of the Badgers (offensive efficiency of 115.7) will go head-to-head against the 263rd-ranked defense of the Hilltoppers (defensive efficiency of 105.0).
Wisconsin at Western Kentucky Odds Pick
College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Wisconsin, ATS Winner – Western Kentucky, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- Wisconsin ranks 17th in assists allowed per game (9.8) while Western Kentucky ranks 141st (13.8).
- The Badgers average 4.1 blocks per game, which ranks 56th in the country. The Hilltoppers rank 114th in blocks allowed per game (4.0).
- Wisconsin ranks 47th in rebounds allowed per game (32.0) while Western Kentucky ranks 102nd (34.3).
- The Hilltoppers rank 46th in steals per game (7.8) while the Badgers rank 146th (5.4).
- Wisconsin ranks 193rd in three pointers attempted per game (20.4) while Western Kentucky ranks 261st (15.1).
Bettings Trends:
- The Badgers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 20.8, up from 14.9 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Hilltoppers have scored an average of 69.8 points per game (3.0 below their season average) and allowed an average of 70.0 points per game (3.6 below their season average).
