Wisconsin Badgers vs James Madison Dukes Prediction, Picks, Odds, News, Injury Report 3/22/24

It’s a perfect recipe for an upset on Friday when the Wisconsin Badgers take on the James Madison Dukes in the first round of the Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament. The 31 – 3 Dukes landed the 12 seed against the 5-seed Badgers in the South Region, and history has a way of producing upsets. Our Badgers vs Dukes prediction and betting picks are available in the article below!

It’s infamous over the years as 12-seeds have come away with upset wins against 5-seeds in this event. Since the 1985 campaign, the 12-seed has won 55 out of 152 meetings, which is nearly a 35% clip of underdogs winning outright. We have another example of that tonight as the Badgers arrive in Brooklyn, NY, being -5.5 favorites on the handicap.

Our resident hoops expert Ej Garr has been perfect since the NCAA basketball post-season arrived. He is sporting a 2 – 0 record with each of his first four tourney game predictions coming through, so how will he finish the week? Will he think underdog or go with a play on the total? Let’s hit the court and find out.

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Badgers vs Dukes Prediction – Picks

• Selection: James Madison +5.5 Handicap
• Best Odds: 1.91
• Bookmaker: Bet365
• Stakes: 4/10

Odds available on March 22nd 2024. Odds may now differ.

Well, you know me by now, and points in my pocket are something I have enjoyed for the last 25 years. Seeing a 31 – 3 Dukes squad feeling slighted for landing as a 12-seed is something I cannot wait to see play out.

Landing a battle with Wisconsin, however, is no easy task for any program but the Sun Belt Champs will be up to the task in the opening round of the 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

The Dukes are carrying an impressive 13-game win streak in the tourney, and that includes winning their first Sun Belt Conference Tournament title. The writing was on the wall as to just how good the Dukes were right from the first game of this year’s campaign. A big win over Michigan State and a 14 – 0 win streak to start the season made a big statement for the Dukes out of the gate.

The Dukes did well in the transfer portal this past off-season, and two pivotal pieces have made significant contributions to the Dukes’ success. T.J. Bickerstaff leads the Dukes grabbing 8.5 rebounds a game, and his 13.4 PPG puts him second on the team leaderboard in scoring. Buckerstaff left Boston College to test the water, and his boat landed in a perfect spot.

Coach Byington also took advantage of a South Dakota State transfer hitting the portal, as Noah Friedel led the team in three-point shooting during the regular season and he led the team with 17.3 PPG in the Sun Belt Tournament.

Wisconsin came within a whisker of winning the Big Ten Tournament title, and there is no doubt they have a size advantage in this game. Steven Crowl creates his presence in the paint, and the 7-footer gained even more confidence in the conference tourney. Crowl averaged 14.5 PPG in the Big Ten Tourney, and he led the team in rebounds bringing in 7.5 per game in the regular season.

I find this an evenly matched affair, and I don’t expect to see either side jump out to a significant lead at any point of the game. James Madison has all the pieces and confidence they need to potentially upset Wisconsin, so I am gladly suggesting we put the +5.5 points in our pockets on the underdog in a 12 vs 5 matchup.

Let’s call for a 71 – 68 game that comes down to the final possessions to decide the winner of this South Region First Round affair.

Game Info

• Time: 02:40 UK Time (Approx)
• Date: Saturday, March 23
• Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
• Where to Watch: CBS Flagship

Wisconsin Badgers News, Injury Report, Schedule:

The Badgers don’t have any major contributors to their team on the injury report.

Wisconsin’s AJ Storr led the team in scoring during the regular season, and he contributed a solid 22.5 PPG from four games played in the Big Ten Tournament. Storr put up 16.7 PPG in the regular season as one of three Badgers who averaged double-digits for the campaign.

The Badgers’ offense averages 75.1 PPG, and they do a great job of protecting the basketball. Ranked 30th in the Nation in turnovers, Wisconsin commits less than ten turnovers a game.

Guarding the 3-ball is another strength of the Badgers, as they rank 5th in the nation holding opponents to a 28.8% clip from distance.

James Madison Dukes News, Injury Report, Schedule:

The Dukes are not reporting any injuries to their roster entering the tournament.

James Madison has been playing in the Sun Belt Conference for only two seasons, and they have already accumulated a 53 – 14 record since making the move from the CAA.

After breaking the school wins record this campaign, the Dukes have earned an incredible 31 victories coming into this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. This comes after a 22-win season a year ago, although this is the first post-season appearance for the Dukes since 2015 (CIT).

The Dukes’ offense ranks 7th in the country with a 30.2 FG percentage from the floor, and their 84.4 PPG ranks them 9th overall in scoring.

Badgers vs Dukes H2H

This is the fourth game of the day being played in Brooklyn, so the start time isn’t set in stone.

This game will start after the conclusion of the game between Vermont and Duke. The winners of both of those games will play each other in the second round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in the South Region.

James Madison has appeared in 5 previous NCAA Tournaments, and their first showing since the 2013 campaign. The Dukes are 4 – 1 in First Round games at the tourney, but they have never advanced past the second round.

The Badgers have appeared in 27 previous NCAA Tournaments, and two of those showing have resulted in National Titles. The Badgers won the 1941 National title in their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, and they most recently did it again in 2015.

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