Oregon vs. Wisconsin Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
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Charlie Grant
Oregon and Wisconsin are two power programs seeking to re-establish themselves among the big boys in college basketball with a memorable March Madness run.
The Badgers play one of the hottest teams entering the Tournament in Oregon. Is the rollercoaster that is the Ducks season still climbing or is it about drop 100 feet in the Round of 64 matchup?
Oregon (12) vs. Wisconsin (5) NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
The Ducks were dead in the water this time last month. They were coming off back-to-back losses to USC and UCLA, which left them with an NIT-worthy record at 15-12.
But Oregon turned things around by winning (and covering the spread) in its next eight games. By the end of it, the Ducks were Pac-12 tournament champions and winners of an automatic NCAA Tournament bid.
The key to unlock Oregon’s potential came at the defensive end of the floor. Opponents averaged just 54.3 points during the Ducks’ eight game win streak. This led to a big trend for total players. The under cashed in seven of those eight games, and the lone contest that went above the listed line was an overtime affair versus Arizona State in the Pac-12 tournament semifinals.
Wisconsin embodies the blandness of its home state; it beats bad teams and loses to good ones. The Badgers won seven of 15 games against teams that ended up qualifying for the Big Dance, but five of those seven wins came against the bottom half of the 68-team field.
Oregon Ducks
What a confusing year for Oregon backers. The team lost their leading scorer and future NBA lottery pick Bol Bol to a season-ending injury just nine games into the campaign. Louis King, the other star freshman, missed time at the start of the year, and took time to find his place in the offence.
King (12.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game) injured his ankle in the Pac-12 championship game against Washington, but he is listed as probable to play against Wisconsin.
Junior guard Payton Pritchard was awarded the Pac-12 tournament MVP for his outstanding play. He’s coming off a 20-point, 7-assist, and 6-rebound performance (on 7-for-9 shooting) against Washington.
Wisconsin Badgers
Senior Ethan Happ is Wisky primary offensive threat. At 6-foot-10, he likes to bang in the post to get the bulk of his points. The Badgers will need to D’Mitrik Trice and others to hit from outside to give Happ room to operator down low, especially against a low and athletic Oregon team.
