NCAA Tournament Betting Picks – Butler Bulldogs vs. Wisconsin Badgers

Two unlikely teams meet in the Sweet Sixteen round of NCAA Tournament betting on Thursday night to battle it out for a spot in the Elite Eight.

Butler Bulldogs vs. Wisconsin Badgers

Thursday, March 24 at 7:57 PM ET

Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

TV: TBS

NCAA Tournament Betting Picks: Butler +4, Wisconsin -4, Game Total: 124

After their surprise Final Four appearance last season, the Butler Bulldogs are just two steps away from reaching the Final Four again. However, first the Bulldogs must get past a tough Wisconsin Badger team in the round of Sweet Sixteen.

The Badgers are a strong offensive team and one of the best three-point shooting groups in the country. Wisconsin has averaged an amazing 71 points per game so far in the NCAA tournament with four players that can score in double figures. The Badgers were able to outlast the Wildcats of Kansas State and their NBA-destined star Jacob Pullen, winning 70-65.

Butler is in the midst of another wild run in the NCAA tournament, finishing off first-seeded Pittsburgh behind the 30-point effort of Shelvin Mack, who hit seven three-point shots in the game. Mack, in addition to the big man inside Matt Howard, makes the Butler offensive explosive and formidable.

Wisconsin has an advantage in this matchup as they are one of the top free-throw teams in the tournament, and Butler has the problem of allowing their opponents chances to get to the line.

Butler’s advantage is that the Bulldogs are excellent at controlling the tempo of the game, something that the Badgers also pride themselves in, but likely won’t be able to wrest this ability away from Butler.

As both of these teams are technically surprises to be in this round, it’s risky to bet against either one of them. But when Butler is hot in an NCAA tournament, it’s best not to bet against them, especially when the Mack-Howard combination is working.

NCAA Tournament Betting Free Pick – Take Butler for the upset!