Big Ten Tournament Championship Predictions: Sunday (Wisconsin vs. Michigan)
The Wisconsin Badgers and Michigan Wolverines both pulled off upsets in the semi-finals to secure their spots in the Big Ten tournament final. The Badgers took down the Michigan State Spartans 77-74 while the Wolverines won an 81-80 thriller over the Maryland Terrapins.
The Badgers are favored by 3.5 points thanks to their impressive tournament play. Can they finish the job or will the Wolverines pull out the victory?
Here is the best Wisconsin vs. Michigan Big 10 tournament championship pick.
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Sunday’s Best Big Ten Tournament College Basketball Picks: Wisconsin vs. Michigan
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Wisconsin vs. Michigan
The Badgers are looking to win their fourth game in four days after taking down the top-seeded Spartans in the semi-finals. Though they only won the game by three points, they led for most of the second half, as their offense continued to put on a show for the crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. One day after tying the Big Ten tournament record with 19 three-pointers, they knocked down nine to propel the win. John Tonje scored a game-high 32 points. He's now scored 76 points in three Big Ten tournament games.
The Wolverines blew out the Purdue Boilermakers in the quarter-finals, then Tre Donaldson made a layup with just seconds remaining to lead them to a one-point win over the Terrapins. The Wolverines may have only won by a point, but they led by double digits at various points in the second half.
While both of these offenses have looked excellent during this tournament, I'm going to stay away from the 150.5 total. That's a lot of points for a championship game, especially when fatigue is bound to play a big factor. Therefore, I'm looking at the spread.
The Badgers are favored by 3.5 even though they lost on their home court by three points to this same Wolverines team earlier this season. That game was played back on December 3rd, so I'm not letting the result influence my decision.
The Badgers have been phenomenal offensively this tournament, and if the Spartans weren’t able to slow them down, I don’t think the Wolverines will be able to either. And though fatigue may impact the Badgers as a team, Tonje is playing on another level right now. He didn’t look bothered by the fact he was playing his third game in three days yesterday. He’s going to be the difference-maker in the championship game.
If this is close late, Tonje will be the one who wins it for the Badgers. But after what the Badgers have shown in their last two games, I’m not so sure this will be close.
Pick: Wisconsin -3.5 (-110)
Phil Wood is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Phil, check out his archive and follow him @Phil_Wood_Jr.