Jake's College Basketball Picks 1/14

What a week it has been. I have had flu-like symptoms the whole week, and I barely had enough energy to get out of bed. I have been updating my Instagram, and yesterday’s picks went 3-0, a great way to kick off this great weekend of sports! There are some great college basketball games this weekend, and I may be in attendance for Wisconsin vs. Indiana.

Wisconsin vs. Indiana: Indiana has hit a massive midseason slump. The injury bug has hit no team worst than Indiana this year. The Hoosiers lost their senior leaders in Race Thompson and Xavier Johnson, with potential season-ending injuries. Other key players such Trayce Jackson-Davis, Jordan Hood-Schifino, and Trey Galloway have also missed some time, dealing with injuries. The Hoosiers find themselves near the bottom of the Big Ten, which is different from where they are supposed to be, being ranked a week ago. The game on Wednesday for the Hoosiers was extremely unfortunate as Penn State shot 18-31(58%) from three, and the Hoosiers only attempted fourteen threes, making four of them. For the Hoosiers to win, they need to lock down the perimeter, force Wisconsin to take it to the paint, and try to beat Trayce Jackson-Davis and Jordan Geromino down low.

The Badgers are coming off a tough loss at home to Michigan State. The Badgers were up 5 with five minutes to go, and the Spartans ended the game on a 15-6 run to shock the Badgers in Madison. Wisconsin is a solid team led by Chucky Hepburn, Tyler Wahl, and big man Steven Crowl. The Badgers play a fast game and very smart game. They do not foul, and they can make their free throws. Shooting around 37% from three could be massive for Wisconsin, as Indiana’s defense is atrocious against defending the long ball. 

Some betting facts:

• Indiana is 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games

• Wisconsin is 4-6 ATS in their last 10 games

• Wisconsin won both matchups again Indiana last year by a margin of 5 points

• My Big Ten betting model predicts that Indiana will win by ~1.5
  I am taking Indiana -4

Other games I am picking this Saturday:
Kansas State vs. TCU:  TCU ML
Miami vs. NC State: Miami +2.5
Providence vs. Creighton: Creighton -6.5
Iowa State vs. Kansas: Iowa State +8.5