Gophers are huge underdogs as Ben Johnson looks for first win over Wisconsin

Johnson is looking to get on the board Friday night in the Border Battle.

Dec 29, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach Ben Johnson looks on during the first half against the Morgan State Bears at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The ailing Gophers will head on the road to take on 12-3 Wisconsin at the Kohl Center on Friday night. Early betting odds view the Badgers as 13.5-point favorites, which is the biggest point spread Minnesota has faced so far this season.

Wisconsin and Minnesota have faced off five times since Ben Johnson became the Gophers head coach prior to the 2021-22 season. The Badgers have won all five contests, but they've all been closely contested.

Ben Johnson's results against Wisconsin (5 games):

• Jan. 30, 2022: 66-60 L on the road
• Feb. 23, 2022: 68-67 L at home
• Jan. 3, 2023: 63-60 L on the road
• Feb. 5, 2023: 71-67 L at home
• Jan. 23, 2024: 61-59 L at home

This season, Wisconsin was voted by the media to finish in the middle of the Big Ten standings. They have shattered expectations and it began with eight straight wins to begin the season, highlighted by a 15-point statement win over Arizona at home.

After three straight losses to Michigan, Marquette and Illinois, the Badgers have gotten back on track with four straight wins, most recently over Iowa and Rutgers. Led by guard trio John Tonje, John Blackwell and Max Klesmit, Wisconsin quietly has one of the most fun offenses in the country.

Tonje leads the team with 18.4 points per game, but all three players average double figures. They average 83.3 points per game as a team, which ranks 30th in college basketball. They're also the top free-throw shooting team in the country at 85.5%, a stark difference from the Gophers' 61.8% mark.

Prediction

Anyone who has watched these teams play would realize Minnesota probably needs to play its best game of the season to have any chance of taking down the Badgers at the Kohl Center. The fact that Johnson has lost by an average of only 3.2 points per game against Wisconsin tells me that he knows how to get his team up for these rivalry games.

Despite the glaring mistakes and abysmal free-throw shooting, there were still a lot of positives to take from Minnesota's close loss to Ohio State on Monday. The Gophers will keep this one closer than the experts think, but Wisconsin leans on its depth and pulls away.

• Score prediction: Wisconsin 81 Minnesota 72

---

Stay up to date on all things Gophers by bookmarking Minnesota Gophers On SI, subscribing to our YouTube Channel, and signing up to receive our free Gophers newsletter, which will enter you into a drawing for the EA College Gameday 25 video game (you choose between PS5 or Xbox).