Kohl Center – Madison, WI
Tip-off: Tuesday, 9:00 pm ET
Line: Wisconsin -11.5, Total: 131.0

#17 Wisconsin will be looking to earn its 15th win when the team hosts Michigan on Tuesday.

Michigan avoided a three-game losing streak by defeating Nebraska 91-85 as an 8.5-point home favorite on Saturday. The Wolverines were remarkable offensively in that game, shooting 54.0% from the field and turning the ball over only 10 times. It was their ninth straight game of coughing the ball up 10 or fewer times, and they will need to be extremely careful with the rock on Tuesday as well. The Badgers have forced their opponents to turn the ball over more than 10 times in each of the past nine games, so they’ll be looking to make the Wolverines uncomfortable. Wisconsin’s most recent game was an 89-66 victory over Ohio State on Jan. 12. The Badgers were favored by 10 in that game, and they have now won-and-covered in four of their past five games. They’re also hosting a Michigan team that they have beaten four times in a row (2-2 ATS). One trend that stands out when looking at this game is the fact that Wisconsin is a perfect 8-0 ATS off a home win against a conference rival over the past two seasons. The Badgers are also facing a Wolverines team that is just 0-6 ATS after three or more consecutive Overs on the year.

The Wolverines have been inconsistent this season, but they can still very well be a dangerous tournament team come March. Michigan is incredibly balanced, as the team has six guys scoring at least 8.0 PPG. The leading scorer for this Wolverines team is G Zak Irvin (14.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.7 APG). Irvin can score in a number of ways, but he will need to find his three-ball on Tuesday. He is just 1-for-11 from the outside over the past four contests, and he will need to bury a couple against Wisconsin in this one. If he doesn’t then it’ll be very hard for him to score, as the Badgers possess multiple defenders that are capable of guarding the wing. G Derrick Walton Jr. (12.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.7 APG) is a guy that could give Wisconsin some trouble, though. Walton Jr. is an extremely quick point guard, and he should be able to blow by Bronson Koenig a few times in this one. That’ll allow him to finish at the rim or set up his teammates. He’s also a 41.7% shooter from the outside, and will need to hit some shots from the outside. The same can be said for F Duncan Robinson (8.3 PPG), who is shooting 39.7% from three. Although the numbers might not show it, Robinson will be the best shooter on the floor on Tuesday and Michigan badly needs him to make his presence felt. On the inside, both Fs Moritz Wagner (12.2 PPG, 3.7 RPG) and D.J. Wilson (10.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.3 BPG) will need to be active on the glass. If they do not hold their own against Wisconsin’s elite frontcourt then the Wolverines will be blown out in Madison.

Wisconsin is one of the most efficient teams in the country, as the Badgers average 117.6 points per 100 possessions (t-17th in NCAA) and allow just 60.2 PPG (9th in NCAA). That combination of an offense that doesn’t make many mistakes with a suffocating defense has been a staple for Wisconsin over the years. F Nigel Hayes (13.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3.2 APG) is the leader of this Badgers team on both ends of the floor. Hayes is a guy that can fill up the stat sheet offensively, and he is also a lockdown defender both on the wing and inside. He’ll look to pick apart this Michigan team on Tuesday, and he should have no problem doing so. Earlier in the year Hayes nearly had a triple-double against Syracuse, and that shows the type of player he is. He should record at least one before the end of his final college season. G Bronson Koenig (14.4 PPG) and F Ethan Happ (12.9 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 1.9 SPG) are also some of the more dangerous players in the nation to defend. Koenig is a lethal shooter from the outside, and he seems to always come up big in the clutch. Happ, meanwhile, could be the best player in Wisconsin history by the time his college career comes to an end. He is only a sophomore, but Happ has been a double-double machine in his two years with the Badgers. He is one of the best post-scorers in the country, and he is an animal on the boards as well. He could be the x-factor in this game, as Michigan likely can’t handle his energy on both ends.