The Wisconsin Badgers and James Madison Dukes face off in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Basketball Tournament. Both schools saw a lot of success in their respective conference tournaments, with the Dukes winning theirs while the Badgers knocked off Purdue to reach the championship game. With both teams playing well, making a Wisconsin vs James Madison prediction and other March Madness picks difficult to do.
Below, we will preview this NCAA Tournament college basketball game, giving a Wisconsin vs James Madison prediction and other March Madness expert picks. Which school will win and keep their hopes of winning the championship trophy alive?
Wisconsin vs James Madison Prediction and March Madness Expert Picks
2024 NCAA Tournament
No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers (22-13) vs. No. 12 James Madison Dukes (31-3)
Date: Friday, March 22, 2024
Time: 9:40 PM EST
Venue: Barclays Center — Brooklyn, NY
Coverage: CBS
Get your printable March Madness bracket
Wisconsin vs James Madison March Madness Odds
All college basketball betting odds for Wisconsin vs James Madison can be found at BetUS Sportsbook.
Moneyline: WISC: (-220) | JMU: (+190)
Point Spread: WISC: -4.5 (-115) | JMU: +4.5 (-105)
Total: TBD — Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)
KenPom Rankings | Bracketology
KenPom Rankings are from KenPom.com
Team | Rk | AdjO | AdjD | AdjT |
Wisconsin | 17 | 120.1 (13) | 99.5 (47) | 65.2 (307) |
James Madison | 59 | 113.9 (56) | 101.0 (79) | 69.5 (71) |
Get $100 For March Madness Picks With Underdog Fantasy Promo Code FLURRY
You don’t need to be in a state with legal sports betting in order to make money on March Madness picks this year. That’s right! Underdog Fantasy is one of the best daily fantasy sites on the market, and they will have college basketball Pick’em for you to play for the NCAA Tournament!
Sign up with the Underdog Fantasy promo code FLURRY for a $100 deposit match! Use this extra money to make March Madness picks, which include projections for college basketball player props. Pick higher or lower on a variety of stats, then win along with your bracket. Click the link and use our code to make sure you claim this great promo for March Madness today!
Wisconsin vs James Madison College Basketball Trends
- Wisconsin is 8-3 in non-conference college basketball games this season.
- James Madison is 12-0 in non-conference college basketball games this season.
- The OVER is 22-12 in Wisconsin basketball games this season.
- The OVER is 17-16 in James Madison basketball games this season.
- Wisconsin is 2-2 in NCAA Tournament games since 2019.
- James Madison has not made the NCAA Tournament since 2013.
Wisconsin vs James Madison Prediction | March Madness Expert Picks
As stated above, both the Wisconsin Badgers and James Madison Dukes had strong finishes. While the Dukes were strong in the Sun Belt all season long, the Badgers had a pretty terrible losing stretch, losing seven of nine games starting in February. Luckily, they were able to snap out of it in time for the Big Ten Tournament.
One of the major issues for this Wisconsin basketball team this season has been shooting the three-ball. They hit only 34.8% of shots from the perimeter this season, but the Badgers played a bit better in their conference tournament once Chucky Hepburn and Max Klesmit got more decisive and aggressive in the paint.
However, the perimeter shooting for the Badgers could struggle again against a James Madison basketball team that ranks second in the country in three-point percentage allowed (28.6%). Luckily for the Badgers, if the past two NCAA Tournaments are any indication, everyone will struggle shooting in the first weekend, as the NCAA switches to a weird, rubber-looking ball.
The size of the Badgers will also be too much for the Dukes once the tempo slows down. James Madison has also struggled against their only true competition this year, Appalachian State, losing both games to them. For our Wisconsin vs James Madison prediction, we are picking the Badgers to win and move on in the NCAA Tournament.
Make March Madness picks on games like this with the Underdog Fantasy promo code FLURRY today!