Wisconsin Badgers vs Florida Gators FREE Sweet 16 Prediction, 3–24–2017
FREE NCAAB Sweet 16 Pick Wisconsin Badgers vs Florida Gators
Time: March 24, 9:59pm EST
Current Odds: Florida -2
Wisconsin vs Florida Sweet 16 Prediction by Skip Breaze of Sports Investor Central
#8 Wisconsin Badgers (27–9, 17–16 ATS) vs. #4 Florida Gators (26–8, 19–13 ATS)
An exciting Sweet 16 matchup features the Wisconsin Badgers of Big 10 vs the Florida Gators of the SEC — winner advances to the Elite 8 to play the winner of Baylor vs South Carolina.
Wisconsin features unparalleled leadership (five returning starters) behind seniors Bronson Koenig and Nigel Hayes, both of whom have played in sixteen NCAA Tournament games (including Final Four experience). The Badgers opened the season red hot going (21–3 SU) start to the 2016–17 campaign. However, Wisconsin struggled down the stretch losing five of its last seven regular-season games before making a deep run in the Big Ten Conference Tournament. The Badgers have reached the Sweet Sixteen in five of the past six Tournaments, including two Final Four appearances.
Center Ethan Happ controls the paint for the Badgers, averaging 13.8 PPG and 9 RPG. Happ scored 12 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks vs Villanova. Seniors Bronson Koenig (14.5 PPG) and Nigel Hayes (13.8 PPG) also average double figures. This team isn’t built around a dynamic offense. The makeup of this team is a stingy, hard nosed defense. Wisconsin entered the NCAA Tournament with an elite defense that was 13.0 points per game better than average (61.4 points per game to teams that would combine to average 74.4 points per game). At the start of the Tournament, the Badgers ranked 9th in the nation in scoring defense, 11th in defensive efficiency.
The Florida Gators know a thing or two about stingy defense. The Gators held the Virginia Cavaliers to 39 points in their most recent Tournament matchup. The Gators defense has been their greatest strength all season, especially defending the three, holding the opposition to just 30% shooting from beyond the arc. Their defense will need to be at it’s best going against arguably an even better defense in Wisconsin.
KeVaughn Allen leads the team averaging 13.4 points and 1.5 assists while Canyon Barry is averaging 11.8 points and 2.9 rebounds. The Gators are scoring an average of 77.9 points per game while conceding 65.7 PPG.
If Wisconsin can defend the 3 point line I like the Badgers in this matchup and here is why I am taking Wisconsin. The Badgers are a profitable 7–1 ATS in their last eight non-conference games, 7–1–1 ATS in their last nine NCAA Tournament affairs when getting points and 5–1 ATS in their last six games versus .501 or greater opposition. Let’s also note that Wisconsin is 11–6 SU versus SEC opposition, including 4–1–1 ATS in the NCAA Tournament.
Wisconsin enters this game with a record of (13–4–1 ATS) in its last eighteen NCAA Tournament games as an underdog. The Badgers have been stone cold money makers for bettors. From a macro perspective, the Big 10 has gone 14–6–1 ATS as underdogs versus SEC teams in the Tournament.
Take the +2 points in this matchup as the Badgers will advance to the Elite 8 with a SU Win.
