#14 Montana vs #3 Wisconsin NCAAB Pick: Can The Badgers Bounce Back? (Mar 20)

• The Badgers concluded the regular season with a 26-9 record.
• Montana finished with a 25-9 mark, including 15-3 in conference play.
• These teams last played on Mar. 15, 2012, with the Badgers rolling to a 73-49 victory.

One of the games on Thursday’s NCAA slate features the Wisconsin Badgers taking on the Montana Grizzlies. Which of these squads will advance to the next round in our Badgers vs Grizzlies pick?

Wisconsin Hopes To Bounce Back From Six-Point Loss Against Michigan

On the heels of three straight wins, the Badgers suffered a 59-53 setback against the Michigan Wolverines on Sunday. John Blackwell paced the team’s offense with 18 points on 6-for-17 shooting from the floor.

Max Klesmit added 12 points and three assists, while John Tonje chipped in with nine points and seven boards. Wisconsin led by a slim 51-48 margin late in the second half. However, Michigan closed the game on an 11-2 spurt, denying the Badgers their first Big 10 tournament title since 2015.

Grizzlies Look To Extend Win Streak To Five Games

After dropping a 79-76 decision against Portland State on Mar. 1, the Grizzlies have won their last four games, including a 91-83 victory against Northern Colorado on Mar. 12.

Senior Kai Johnson set the tone for an offense where four starters reached double figures. He led the way with 23 points, connecting on seven of his 10 attempts overall, including a 2-for-2 effort from beyond the arc.

Brandon Whitney finished with 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting from the field, and Joe Pridgen logged 17 points, five rebounds, and two assists.

Montana shot the ball well in the first half, knocking down 74 percent of its attempts to take a 48-39 at the break. After leading by as much as 14 points (59-45) after intermission, Northern Colorado trimmed the deficit to 74-73 with just four minutes to play.

The Grizzlies concluded matters with a 17-10 run en route to their 12th Big Sky Tournament title in the program’s history and their first since 2019.

Badgers vs Grizzlies Pick: Who Has The Edge?

Both teams are playing well coming into this matchup. Wisconsin is 3-1 in their last four, while Montana has won each of their previous four contests.

From a defensive standpoint, the Badgers have allowed 70.4 points per outing in their last five games, compared to 70.8 for Montana.

In a game where points may be difficult to come by, Wisconsin gets the win and advances to the next round.