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Pete Nance of the North Carolina Tar Heels and Terrence Edwards of the James Madison Dukes battle for a loose ball. We're expecting a big game from Edwards in ourJames Madison vs. Wisconsin player props and March Madness odds.
Pete Nance of the North Carolina Tar Heels and Terrence Edwards of the James Madison Dukes battle for a loose ball. Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images via AFP.

The NCAA Tournament will kick off with an exciting matchup between the Wisconsin Badgers and James Madison Dukes. Check out our player props and predictions for the James Madison vs. Wisconsin game, based on the top March Madness odds available.

The Wisconsin Badgers experienced a rollercoaster season, ending the regular season with a disappointing 6-9 record. However, they defied the odds in the Big Ten Tournament final with a remarkable comeback, earning a five seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Even though they lost to Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament championship game, the Badgers are carrying momentum into March Madness. They will have a challenging matchup in the NCAA Tournament against the James Madison Dukes, who are seen as a strong double-digit seed in the tournament.

The Dukes clinched the Sun Belt Tournament championship, securing a No. 12 seed with their impressive 31-3 record and dominant offense at the mid-major level. Despite being the underdog, the Badgers, favored by 5.5 points on top sports betting platforms, may have their work cut out for them in what could be a challenging matchup.

In our March Madness predictions, we are offering our top prediction and college basketball picks for the James Madison vs. Wisconsin matchup. Our picks are based on odds from the best March Madness betting sites, with confidence levels rated on a 1-to-5-star scale.

The odds of James Madison winning against Wisconsin

Prediction for the South Region: James Madison will face off against Wisconsin with James Madison ranked 12th and Wisconsin ranked 5th.

Terrence Edwards scored more than 16.5 points, receiving a rating of three stars.

The most favorable odds are -110 at DraftKings.

The Dukes had an impressive start to the season, winning their opener on the road against then-No. 4 Michigan State and going on a 14-game winning streak. They climbed as high as No. 18 in the rankings.

Despite a few conference losses dampening the excitement around the team, James Madison is currently on a 13-game winning streak and will showcase their explosive offense in the upcoming game against Wisconsin.

Terrence Edwards, a 6-foot-6 guard, has been the driving force behind the offense throughout the season. He maintains an average of 17.4 points per game and recently earned the title of Sun Belt Player of the Year. Edwards is the linchpin of the Dukes’ offense, which boasts an average of 84.4 points per game, ranking them 10th in the nation. With his impressive skills, he is expected to pose a significant challenge for the Badgers’ defense.

According to KenPom, Wisconsin ranks 47th in adjusted defensive efficiency this season. The team has given up at least 75 points in 10 of its last 19 games, allowing an average of 73.8 points per game during that stretch. The Badgers have struggled to defend the perimeter, with opponents shooting 37.1% from behind the arc against them. Overall, teams are shooting 45.8% against Wisconsin, making it a challenging season for their defense.

Edwards is well-positioned with his high number of touches, leading the team in minutes (30.3), field-goal attempts (13.3), and free-throw attempts per game (5.7). He is a proficient shooter overall, with percentages of 35.4% from 3-point range, 82.4% from the free-throw line, and 42.8% from the field.

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The best odds for the James Madison vs. Wisconsin game are in favor of Wisconsin.

DraftKings (-110)

DraftKingsFanDuelBetMGMCaesarsbet365
Edwards Over 16.5 pointsEdwards Over 15.5 pointsN/AN/AEdwards Over 16.5 points
-110-118N/AN/A-110

Our top two sports betting apps both have Edwards’ points total set at 15.5, but FanDuel has slightly better odds.

We are confident in Edwards’ matchup against Wisconsin and would gladly take him to get 16 points at -118 odds. Both DraftKings and bet365 are offering -110 odds, which suggest a 52.38% probability that Edwards will score at least 17 points, according to our odds calculator.

Taking the Over on Edwards point total up to 17.5 at odds of -120 is a smart bet, as a $10 wager could result in a $9.09 profit. Edwards has scored at least 17 points in seven of his last nine games and is averaging 19.5 points per game.

Analysis of the spread and Over/Under for the James Madison vs. Wisconsin game

The Badgers started as 4.5 to 5-point favorites at top live betting sites, but the line has shifted to Wisconsin -5.5. We anticipate minimal further movement due to James Madison’s strong offense. The Dukes have a solid 18-14-1 ATS record, while Wisconsin is just 16-18-1.

Both teams have strong offenses, causing the game total to open at 145.5 and stay the same. With Edwards and Badgers guard AJ Storr’s scoring skills, the total may rise to 147.5 before the game starts.

Wisconsin has excelled as one of the top Over teams this season with a record of 23-12, while James Madison has gone Over in five of its last six games.

Information on the James Madison versus Wisconsin game

  • When: Friday, March 22
  • Tip-off: 9:40 p.m. ET
  • Location: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
  • How to watch: CBS

Prediction for the James Madison-Wisconsin game was made on Tuesday at 12:05 p.m. ET.

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