Wisconsin vs BYU Prediction 3/22/25 College Basketball Picks Today

The BYU Cougars and the Wisconsin Badgers meet Saturday in NCAA Tournament Second Round college basketball action from Ball Arena. Here’s a Wisconsin vs BYU prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Wisconsin vs BYU pick.

BYU Cougars Betting Preview

The Cougars have had a pretty nice season overall, with only a couple instances of spotty runs. BYU kicked off their year on a 10-2 stretch, then lost to Houston, Texas Tech, TCU and Utah over the next five outings. After wins over Colorado, Cincinnati, Baylor and UCF, the Cougars felt o Arizona and Cincinnati. BYU would finish off the regular season with wins over West Virginia, Kansas State, Kansas, Arizona, Arizona State, West Virginia, Iowa State and Utah, then beat Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament. The Cougars would fall to Houston in the next round but bounced back with an NCAA Tournament First Round victory over VCU on Thursday. That gives the Cougars a 25-9 overall record so far this year.

On Thursday in NCAA Tournament action versus VCU, the Cougars were ahead 39-28 going into the second half. BYU hit another 41 points from there on the way to an 80-71 victory. Leading scorer Richie Saunders put up 16 points with four rebounds and a pair of steals.

Wisconsin Badgers Betting Preview

Over on the Wisconsin side, they had a couple of choppy (but brief) stretches during the regular season but nothing terrible—especially considering the tricky schedule. The Badgers lost three straight in December versus Michigan, Marquette and Illinois, then hit a win streak that lasted from December 14 to January 18. Those victories were over Butler, Detroit Mercy, Iowa, Rutgers, Minnesota, Ohio State and USC. A 6-2 run came in the next six games with losses to UCLA and Maryland, then three losses to Oregon, Michigan State and Minnesota over the next five games. Wisconsin bagged wins over Northwestern, UCLA and Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament before a loss to Michigan last Sunday. The Badgers took out Montana on Thursday, giving the team a 27-9 overall record so far this year.

Matched up against Montana on Thursday in the First Round of the national tournament, the Badgers were up 40-32 going into the second half. Wisconsin hit the gas from there on a 45-34 run and took the win in the end 85-66. John Blackwell led the way on 19 points with five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Steven Crowl wasn’t far behind on 18 points with four rebounds and two assists, while John Tonje added 15 points with four rebounds and a pair of blocks in 31 minutes of action during the victory effort.

Why the Wisconsin Badgers will win

• Wisconsin has won 11 of its last 12 games against non-Conference opponents.
• BYU has lost five of its last six NCAA Tournament games.
• Wisconsin has won the first half in each of its last 11 games.

Why the BYU Cougars will win

• BYU has won 21 of its last 22 night games against non-Conference opponents.
• Wisconsin has lost five of its last six night games against AP-ranked opponents at a neutral venue.
• BYU has won the first half in 12 of its last 13 night games against non-Conference opponents.

Total Points Facts

• Fifteen of Wisconsin’s last 16 night games at a neutral venue have produced a total of 149 or fewer points.
• Seven of BYU’s last eight night games at a neutral venue have produced a total of 153 or fewer points.

Matchup/League Facts

• Wisconsin ranks 1st among Division 1 teams for free throw percentage this season (83.6%).
• Wisconsin ranks 5th among Division 1 teams for opponent steals per game this season (4.9).
• BYU ranks 7th among Division 1 teams for effective field goal percentage this season (57.5%).
• BYU ranks 10th among Division 1 teams for three-point field goals made per game this season (10.6).

Wisconsin vs BYU Prediction

I’m going to stay with Wisconsin. The Badgers had a great run in the Big Ten Tournament this year, but ultimately fell short against a good Michigan team. Wisconsin shot a dismal 22.1 percent from the field and 17.9 percent from outside (7-of-39) in that one but otherwise did well statistically. The Badgers made up for it with a dominant win versus an overmatched Montana team on Thursday. Wisconsin buried 55.4 percent from the field and 80 percent (16-of-20) from the line in that victory, alongside a 40-29 rebounding edge. During this current 4-1 run, the Badgers have 70 or more points in all four victories—and 77 or more in three of them.

As for BYU, they notched a pretty solid effort in their win over VCU on Thursday. The Cougars shot 50 percent from the field with a 40-31 rebounding advantage. That said, they also went a spotty 19-of-28 (67.9 percent) from the line and had 12 turnovers for 17 Rams points. BYU has scored 73 or more points in each win during this current 10-1 run, so this matchup should be a fairly high total. It’ll be a fun one to watch regardless of the outcome.