Wisconsin vs. James Madison: 2024 NCAA Tournament Odds, Preview & Predictions
March Madness is officially here! The 2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket has been announced, and the teams are lining up for the Big Dance. Let's take a look at the early odds, preview, and predictions for the 2024 NCAA Tournament game: Wisconsin vs. James Madison. And make sure to check out our 2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Optimizer to take down your pools!
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2024 NCAA Tournament Odds, Preview & Predictions: Wisconsin vs. James Madison
Here are odds and team previews for each of the two squads in this opening-round matchup of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
Wisconsin 2024 NCAA Tournament Preview
After a season of ups and downs, Wisconsin has to be happy with its play in the Big Ten Tournament, where the Badgers handled Maryland and Northwestern, upset Purdue and went toe-to-toe with Illinois in the title game. The Badgers went 3-8 to finish the regular season and were sliding toward the bubble. It feels like Wisconsin is now riding high, with its perimeter shooting stepping up and A.J. Storr and Chucky Hepburn playing at a different level. Max Klesmit, Steven Crowl and John Blackwell add to this top-15-ranked offense, which plays methodically, doesn’t turn the ball over and takes smart looks.
To beat Wisconsin, teams have to shoot well from deep. This has been shown as a reasonable possibility, considering the Badgers allow opponents to shoot better than 37% from three-point land, ranking outside the top 345th in the nation. That may cause hesitation for those tempted to pick Wisconsin to go deep, but the Badgers do rebound misses at a high rate, so a team would need some lucky shooting for a big upset. Momentum, experience and a top-10 strength of schedule favor Greg Gard’s squad for a potential tournament run, especially considering how this team played in non-conference games. Calling this team a title contender may be a stretch, but a Final Four appearance is within reason for this Badger team.
James Madison 2024 NCAA Tournament Preview
It was a big deal when James Madison beat Michigan State in the first game of the season at the beginning of November. Now, I don’t think anyone would blink twice at that result. Entering the tournament with the most wins in Division I basketball, the Dukes are riding the nation’s longest active win streak at 13. James Madison will beat teams with a fast pace, all-around offense, defense, and consistent play. The Sun Belt tournament representative is an example of another mid-major with a weak strength of schedule, but two of their losses came against a top-100 Appalachian State.
In their seven games against top-150 teams, James Madison went 5-2 with a positive shot volume, ranking 56th overall. When the moment calls, the Dukes know how to answer. Terrence Edwards Jr. is a prolific scorer who is an X-factor for their success. Hopefully, the Dukes won’t have to lean on their offense. They boast a top-five perimeter defense, limiting teams to shooting under 30% from deep. They ran the table in the Sun Belt tournament, so don’t worry about their neutral court play, but they only played three games against top-100-ranked defenses. An elite unit could shock Mark Byington’s squad, but they have to be high on the ‘trust scale’ among the double-digit mid-majors.
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2024 NCAA Tournament Sports Betting Picks
Now that the 2024 NCAA Tournament brackets have been announced, it’s time to make your sports betting picks to increase the excitement of March Madness. Let's take a look at the early odds and picks for the 2024 NCAA Tournament
EAST REGION
- UCONN v Stetson (1v16)
- Iowa St. v South Dakota St. (2v15)
- Illinois v Morehead St. (3v14)
- Auburn v Yale (4v13)
- San Diego St. v UAB (5v12)
- BYU v Duquesne (6v11)
- Washington St. v Drake (7v10)
- Florida Atlantic v Northwestern (8v9)
MIDWEST REGION
- Montana St/Grambling St PLAY IN
- Virginia/Colorado St. PLAY IN
- Tennessee vs. Saint Peter’s (2v15)
- Creighton vs. Akron (3v14)
- Kansas vs. Samford (4v13)
- Gonzaga vs. McNeese (5v12)
- South Carolina vs. Oregon (6v11)
- Utah St. vs. TCU (8v9)
SOUTH REGION
- Boise St./Colorado PLAY IN
- Houston vs. Longwood (1v16)
- Marquette vs. Western Kentucky (2v15)
- Kentucky vs. Oakland (3v14)
- Duke vs. Vermont (4v13)
- Wisconsin vs. James Madison (5v12)
- Texas Tech vs. NC State (6v11)
- Nebraska vs. Texas A&M (8v9)
WEST REGION
- Howard/Wagner PLAY IN
- Arizona vs. Long Beach St. (2v15)
- Baylor vs. Colgate (3v14)
- Alabama vs. Charleston (4v13)
- Saint Mary’s vs. Grand Canyon (5v12)
- Clemson vs. New Mexico (6v11)
- Dayton vs. Nevada (7v10)
- Mississippi St. vs. Michigan St. (8v9)
2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Pool Strategy & Picks
Below we provide strategy, advice, and picks to create the optimal NCAA Tournament bracket. And be sure to use our FREE bracket optimizer to build a winning men’s NCAA tournament bracket and take down your contest!