It’s the Big Ten championship game with the 18th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers set to battle the 22nd-ranked Michigan Wolverines on Sunday afternoon.
Wisconsin is coming off three-straight wins over Northwestern, UCLA, and Michigan State to reach its second-straight Big Ten Tournament title game. Last year, the Badgers fell to Illinois 93-87. Wisconsin is looking for their first Big Ten Tournament title under Greg Gard and their first title since 2015.
As for Michigan, the Wolverines are coming off an impressive string of victories, overwhelming Purdue and sneaking by Maryland 81-80 thanks to a coast-to-coast game-winner from Tre Donaldson.
TRE DONALDSON WINS IT FOR MICHIGAN WITH SECONDS LEFT 😱
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 15, 2025
The Wolverines take down Maryland to advance to the Big Ten Championship! pic.twitter.com/jh7KEnFEfR
The last time the Wolverines won the Big Ten tournament title was in 2018. What happened next? A run to the National Championship game.
With that being said, take a look at a preview, including a final score prediction, below.
How to watch Wisconsin vs Michigan
Date: Sunday, March 16
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse
How to Watch (TV): CBS
Streaming: fubo TV
Wisconsin record: 26-8 (13-7)
Michigan record: 24-9 (14-6)
Wisconsin vs Michigan odds, spread and total
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook
Moneyline
Wisconsin -162
Michigan +134
Spread
Wisconsin -3.5 (-110)
Michigan +3.5 (-110)
Total
149.5 (over -110/under -110)
H3: Wisconsin injury report
Camren Hunter, G: Questionable
Riccardo Greppi, F: Questionable
H3: Michigan injury report
Sam Walters, F: OUT
Justin Pippen, G: OUT
Michigan and Wisconsin series history
Michigan all-time record vs Wisconsin: 75-57
Wisconsin vs Michigan prediction
The last time the Badgers squared off against Michigan was in early December in a surprisingly low-scoring affair at the Kohl Center. The Wolverines held the high-octane Badgers to just 64 points, including just 6-27 from three. Michigan won 67-64.
Don’t expect the Big Ten Title game to be as low-scoring as it was three months ago. Both offenses have been rolling in the tournament so far, scoring over a point per possession over their past two outings.
It’s no secret that Michigan has faced mounting turnover struggles throughout the season. According to BartTorvik, the Wolverines hold a turnover percentage of 20%, among the worst percentages in college basketball. Meanwhile, Wisconsin is the exact opposite, ranking 17th-best in the country in turnover percentage (14.3). While Wisconsin isn’t necessarily the cream of the crop in forcing turnovers themselves, simply minimizing the amount of possessions Michigan gets a shot off is imperative for the Badgers.
As for Michigan, the Wolverines must find ways to stop the perimeter threats from Wisconsin. The Badgers go nine deep -- and every one of them can connect from three. Wisconsin’s 77 points against Michigan State ties for the most points the Spartans have allowed all season. Wisconsin’s 86 points against UCLA was the second-most points allowed by the Bruins all season. If Michigan can keep Wisconsin’s perimeter prowess in check and keep the Badgers off the free-throw line, there’s no question the Wolverines can stay in this one.
But it all comes down to Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf. In December’s matchup, Goldin and Wolf combined for 44 of Michigan’s 67 points. In Michigan’s win over Maryland, Wolf and Goldin combined for 46 of Michigan’s 81 points. But Wisconsin’s defense has stepped up in the Big Ten Tournament and I trust the Badgers will find ways to counter Michigan’s daunting two-man frontcourt defensively with Crowl and Winter down low.
Michigan may have a knack for sneaking out close victories. But it won’t be the case on Sunday. Take the Badgers in a close one.
Prediction: Wisconsin 84 Michigan 76