Wisconsin is set to face BYU in Salt Lake City on Friday, scheduled for an early local tip of 2:00 pm MST.
Let’s breakdown a college basketball pick from this Friday afternoon showdown.
Wisconsin vs. BYU (Friday 4:00pm ET)
These two teams met in the NCAA Tournament last season, and we got an absolute barn burner that went right down to the wire. The days of the Badgers slowing down the pace are well behind us, as they played the Cougars to a 91-89 final score, and had the last possession with a chance to tie or win the game.
While there’s been plenty of turnover to the rosters, both schools return some top end talent from that game, and add in new pieces that can help push the pace in this game again. Behind a talented backcourt of Nick Boyd and John Blackwell, Wisconsin is off to a 4-0 start, and hanging some big numbers on the scoreboard. So far the Badgers have hung 96 points on Campbell, 97 on Norther Illinois, 86 on Ball State and 94 on SIU Edwardsville.
Meanwhile, BYU managed just 71 points in the season opener against Villanova, but that’s a Wildcats squad that ranks close to last in the country in adjusted tempo. Since then, the Cougars have dropped 98 points against Holy Cross, 85 against Delaware and 84 against a stout UConn defense in Boston. Robert Wright pushes the pace for this team, and AJ Dybantsa has proven to be an elite shot-maker.
In terms of offensive ratings on KenPom, he ranks BYU fifth in the country and Wisconsin eighth. But neither team ranks particularly strongly on the defensive side of the ball, with national rankings coming in at 31st for the Badgers and 50th for the Cougars. Both of these teams play with good tempo and have elite shot makers and strong guard play. This total has been ticking up since the opener, but I think it’s still worth a play on the over.
College Basketball Pick: Wisconsin/BYU OVER 163.5 (-108)
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