Rutgers-Wisconsin Men’s College Basketball Odds, Lines, Spread and Bet

Pat Forde has a best bet for what should be a defensive battle between Big Ten foes.

This figures to be a rock fight extraordinaire between two deliberate, defense-oriented teams. If for some reason the total offers up an enticing under wager, take it.

Rutgers at Wisconsin

Game info: Feb. 18, 2023 | 12:00 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network

Rutgers Straight-Up Record: 16-10 (8-7 Big Ten)
Rutgers Against the Spread Record: 16-10

Wisconsin Straight-Up Record: 15-10 (7-8)
Wisconsin Against the Spread Record: 11-14

In terms of a straight win bet, the hunch here is that Rutgers is going to snap out of its three-game spiral. While Wisconsin is a team battling for its NCAA Tournament life, Rutgers has to be hungry to get back to winning right now. The Scarlet Knights have been reeling since losing forward Mawot Mag for the season to a torn ACL, but astute coach Steve Pikiell should be getting his arms around a new rotation by now.

The Badgers somehow beat Michigan Tuesday without making a field goal in the final 10-plus minutes of the game, which is a testament to their resolve but also a condemnation of their offense. The shots and ball handling won’t come any easier against Rutgers, which has the No. 3 defense in the nation. Freshman guard Connor Essegian isn’t likely to replicate his career-high 23-point performance from Tuesday against Michigan.

BET: Rutgers Moneyline


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Pat Forde
PAT FORDE

Pat Forde is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated who covers college football and college basketball as well as the Olympics and horse racing. He cohosts the College Football Enquirer podcast and is a football analyst on the Big Ten Network. He previously worked for Yahoo Sports, ESPN and The (Louisville) Courier-Journal. Forde has won 28 Associated Press Sports Editors writing contest awards, has been published three times in the Best American Sports Writing book series, and was nominated for the 1990 Pulitzer Prize. A past president of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and member of the Football Writers Association of America, he lives in Louisville with his wife. They have three children, all of whom were collegiate swimmers.