The Wisconsin Badgers and the 12th-ranked Houston Cougars face off Tuesday in the semifinals of the 2021 Maui Invitational in Las Vegas after surprisingly easy victories in Monday’s openers. Houston (4-0) dominated from the start, scoring the first 17 points in a 70-52 victory against Butler on Monday. It lost a lot of talent from a team that has made three straight NCAA appearances and was in the Final Four last season. But the Cougars opened the season by rallying for an 83-75 overtime victory against Hofstra and have been playing stifling defense. The Badgers (3-1) appear just as solid on the defensive end and are also trying to replace numerous key pieces, but they rallied from a 16-point deficit Monday to beat Texas A&M 69-58.
Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. ET at Mandalay Bay Events Center. The Cougars are the 6.5-point favorite in the latest Houston vs. Wisconsin odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under is set at 122.5. Before making any Wisconsin vs. Houston picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $2,100 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has locked in on Houston vs. Wisconsin and released its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Wisconsin vs. Houston:
- Houston vs. Wisconsin spread: Cougars -6.5
- Houston vs. Wisconsin over-under: 122.5 points
- Houston vs. Wisconsin money line: Houston -320, Wisconsin +250
- HOU: The Cougars are 5-5 ATS with no days off since 2016.
- WISC: The Badgers are 4-6-1 ATS with no rest since 2016.
Featured Game | Houston Cougars vs. Wisconsin Badgers
Why Houston can cover
Houston allows 55 points per game, including an 83-75 OT victory against Hofstra after a slow start in the opener. In its past three, it has allowed an average of 48.3. It forced 20 turnovers in the win against Butler and opponents are giving it away an average of 17 times. Fabian White led the Cougars with 21 points and eight rebounds Monday as Marcus Sasser had a quiet afternoon. Sasser is averaging a team-high 17.9 points and shoots 46 percent from 3-point range. The Cougars are 19-8 against the spread in the regular season the past two seasons.
Kyler Edwards (14 points per game) also can hit the outside shots, shooting 41.6 percent. The Cougars have seven players who average at least six points and more than 13 minutes. That includes J’Wan Roberts, who grabs 10.3 boards per game to go with his 6.3 points. Edwards is a guard but hits the boards relentlessly, with 19 of his 22 rebounds coming on the defensive end. White joins Roberts in the frontcourt and averages 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds. The Cougars had 11 steals, blocked four shots and committed just 10 turnovers in Monday’s game.
Why Wisconsin can cover
Wisconsin is 8-5 ATS in nonconference games the past two seasons. It lost seven players from last year’s team, but Brad Davison and Johnny Davis are strong scorers, and the Badgers have length inside. Davison and Davis showed Monday how dangerous they can be, as Davis scored 21 points and Davison had 19. Davison was the only senior to take advantage of the extra year, and he leads an inexperienced group that includes versatile 6-foot-9 junior Tyler Wahl, sophomores Davis and 7-footer Steven Crowl, and freshman point guard Chucky Hepburn.
UW is almost always disciplined and plays strong defense. It held Wisconsin-Green Bay to 34 points two weeks ago and allowed exactly 58 points in their three other games for an average of 52. Wisconsin grabs more than 42 rebounds per game, and four of the five starters average at least four. Crowl and Davison both have 23 (5.7 per game), with 39 of their 46 boards coming on the defensive end. Crowl and Wahl share the team lead in offensive boards with eight apiece. The Badgers are 2-2-1 ATS in neutral-site games over the past two seasons.
How to make Houston vs. Wisconsin picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning over on the total, projecting 134 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time. You can only see the model’s pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Wisconsin vs. Houston? And which side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up nearly $2,100 on its college basketball picks the last five years, and find out.
