Wisconsin vs. Rutgers Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Monday, January 6

Wisconsin is fresh off a blowout over Iowa in Big Ten play and will look to continue that on the road against Rutgers on Monday in New Jersey.

The Scarlet Knights’ highly touted roster has yet to come to fruition, and now the team may be without star guard Dylan Harper, who missed the team’s final game due to illness last week. The team will lean on fellow lottery prospect in this summer’s NBA Draft, Ace Bailey, to keep up with an impressive Badgers offense that scored 116 points on Iowa in Madison on Friday night.

Here’s our betting preview for this Big Ten matchup.

Spread

money line

Total: 156.5 (More than -110/Less than -110)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Wisconsin

Juan Tonje: The transfer guard continues to impress for the Badgers, averaging 18 points per game with five rebounds and shooting an impressive 38% from beyond the arc. Tonje fits very well into Greg Gard’s offense at center, as he has opened up the floor for the rest of the squad.

rutgers

Ace Bailey: The freshman had his best game of the season at Indiana, scoring 39 points, grabbing eight rebounds and blocking four shots in the loss without Harper. Bailey has been scoring at a high level all season, but hasn’t shown much playmaking ability for the rest of the roster. The team will need some help creating a coherent offense in addition to Bailey’s impressive shooting if Harper misses this one again.

Harper plays a big role in this point differential and who can win this game, but it’s hard to look past the Badgers’ disciplined defense and their ability to find answers on an unbalanced Rutgers team.

The Scarlet Knights are very focused on the gravitas of Harper and Bailey on the court, each of the two has a top 150 usage in the country and the ball is funneled through them.

Wisconsin has elite defenders in John Blackwell and Tonje, as the team does a great job cleaning up the glass and persuading opponents to take difficult shots in the half court. Wisconsin is elite at denying transition opportunities, which is where Rutgers tries to force its offense as the team struggles for quality looks in the halfcourt, ranking 322nd in time and three rates, according to ShotQuality.

Meanwhile, the Scarlet Knights’ defense has struggled all season, especially containing the perimeter. The team is allowing a lot of open looks and is in the bottom 100 in points per possession on open catch-and-shoots. This is a big deal against an elite Wisconsin offense that shoots 35% from beyond the arc.

I will rely on the continuity of Wisconsin’s offense and their consistency on defense to win a coin toss on the road.

CHOOSE: Wisconsin -1.5

Game odds are updated periodically and are subject to change.

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