The No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers take on the No. 12 James Madison Dukes in the First Round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Friday, March 22. Tip-off is scheduled for 9:40 p.m. ET, and the game will air on CBS.
2024 March Madness picks
No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 James Madison best bet
Wisconsin (22-13, 11-9 B1G) took down Purdue in the Big Ten semifinal before falling to Illinois in the conference championship game. The Badgers ranked 11th in adjusted offensive efficiency at KenPom to end the season. Led by AJ Storr, Wisconsin averaged 75.1 points per game while allowing opponents to score 69.9 points per game.
JMU (31-3, 15-3 Sun Belt) pulled off a win over Michigan State to begin their 31-win season and steamrolled their way through the Sun Belt with a top-scoring offense. The Dukes averaged 83 points per game, ranking 13th in the nation, and grabbed 8.8 steals per game, ranking 15th in the nation.
Betting lines
Spread: Wisconsin -5.5
Total: 145
Moneyline: Wisconsin -225, JMU +185
All odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Best bet: James Madison +5.5
The Dukes were a rough draw for a Wisconsin team that had to give their all in two consecutive games against top conference opponents. James Madison is strong on both ends of the ball, and while their strength of schedule doesn’t match up to Wisconsin’s, they can heat up from down low and outside, and the Badgers may have trouble defending the Dukes’ multi-threat approach.