3 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for BYU vs. Wisconsin

Avoiding the upset worked wonders for us in the first round of the East region.

As a result, we get two of the hottest teams entering the tournament squaring off on Saturday. The Big Ten runner-up Wisconsin Badgers took care of business against Montana, and the BYU Cougars didn't care about your sleeper pick for the Round of 16, thwarting off VCU in a game that wasn't very tight.

The result? A near pick 'em in Denver on Saturday:

To see thoughts on other games, check out our full men's college basketball tournament predictions page. But for BYU vs. Wisconsin, here are my favorite bets in FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball betting odds.

Betting Picks for BYU vs. Wisconsin

Wisconsin Moneyline (-118)
Wisconsin Over 77.5 Points (-116)

Any fatigue from the conference tournament for Wisconsin wasn't found in the first round. They never really faced an adversity against an undersized, undermanned Montana squad, proving why they were one of my favorite clubs entering the tournament.

They've got size and depth behind two elite guards, John Tonje (19.1) and John Blackwell (15.6 PPG). I find it extremely impressive they were able to shoot 7-for-23 (30.4%) from three and win by 19 points.

BYU was underseeded in the tournament, but a near pick 'em status against Sconny is a bit of an overreaction. In terms of teams you'd profile for an early March exit, the Cougars' 52nd-ranked defensive efficiency (per Bart Torvik) is right up there. They were also 334th of 364 Division I schools in three-point attempts allowed per game (44.9).

Asking a VCU to shoot the lights out -- and they did (39.5%) -- is one thing, but Wisconsin is another. They took the 18th-most threes per game in the country (48.9), and four of their top-six scorers shoot north of 35.0% from deep.

Now facing a team with the size to match BYU's strength on the glass, I am taking Wisconsin to advance. Threes are a great path to their team total, which is fairly neutral given two teams slotting within the 45th-to-55th percentile in adjusted tempo.

John Tonje Over 18.5 Points (-122)

It's a long tournament, so John Tonje didn't force anything Thursday.

He played 31 minutes but took just 5 shots -- a far cry from his team-best 27.7% usage rate this season. He'd gotten up at least 10 (with 6.3 free throw attempts per game) in 16 previous contests. The Badgers will need his services opposite this Big 12 dark horse, though.

Similar to the team angle, Tonje is Sconny's most voluminous three-point shooter, trying 5.9 per game. Now, he did jack up five of those against Montana. It's the tournament; big threes are in vogue.

BYU's leaky three-point defense opposite Tonje is why I can't pick them for an upset. If the guard gets cooking from deep, Wisconsin's 25th-ranked adjusted D isn't a pushover.

I don't think it's crazy to envision Tonje to Score 25+ Points (+310), which he did in two of Wisconsin's four Big Ten Tournament games.

You can also download our FREE college basketball printable bracket.

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Which bets stand out to you for today's games? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest men's college basketball betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.