BYU vs Wisconsin Predictions, Picks & Odds: March Madness Second Round
It was an entertaining first two days of March Madness with a few notable upsets and plenty of back-and-forth games. The 2025 NCAA Tournament rolls on with the Second Round matchups tipping off on Saturday. Let’s take a deep dive into one of those with our BYU vs. Wisconsin predictions below.
No. 3 seed Wisconsin will take on No. 6 seed BYU in the second round of the NCAA Tournament East region bracket. It’s time to break down the top stats, players, storylines, and betting odds to know before the game gets underway on Saturday. Check out our BYU vs. Wisconsin predictions and picks.
BYU vs. Wisconsin Predictions for March Madness Second Round, 3/22
Saturday’s March Madness Second Round matchup between BYU and Wisconsin sets up to be a higher-scoring, back-and-forth battle. Both teams can light up the scoreboard with top-tier offenses. Plus, the Cougars and Badgers are both coming off of impressive first-round victories.
Let’s now get into the top BYU vs. Wisconsin predictions for tonight’s NCAA Tournament Second Round showdown.
BYU Cougars: No Upset Scare For BYU
No. 6 seed BYU was one of those popular upset picks in March Madness brackets (including by yours truly). Well, the Cougars handled business in the first round with a comfortable 80-71 victory over No. 11 seed VCU. They led by double digits at halftime and even led by 20 at one point in the second half.
BYU has now won 10 of its last 11 games with the only loss coming to Houston in the Big 12 Tournament last week. The Cougars are also 14-3 since the middle of January. They’re playing as well as any team in the country right now.
Head coach Kevin Young has one of the elite offenses in the sport. BYU ranks 9th in offensive efficiency, per KenPom, while averaging 81.0 PPG (29th). Young brought an NBA-style offense to the college game that’s resulted in shooting (and making) a ton of three-pointers. It’s working so far.
Wisconsin Badgers: First-Round Blowout Win For Badgers
Wisconsin entered March Madness coming off a hard-fought three-point loss in the Big Ten Tournament title game to Michigan. The No. 3 seed Badgers bounced back in a big way on Thursday in their first-round matchup. They beat No. 14 seed Montana, 85-66, in blowout fashion.
Montana didn’t even get to sniff a chance at an upset. Wisconsin led by eight points at halftime and held a double-digit lead for much of the second half. It was an impressive outing offensively as the Badgers shot 55.4% from the field with five different double-digit scorers.
Wisconsin is 13th nationally in offensive efficiency this season, per KenPom. The Badgers can score in multiple ways and boast a dynamic playmaker in John Tonje, who’s averaging 19.1 PPG. They’re also a very good defensive team, ranking 24th in defensive efficiency. This balance makes Greg Gard’s squad a tough out in the NCAA Tournament.
How To Watch The Second Round of March Madness 2025
Saturday’s March Madness Second Round game between BYU and Wisconsin is scheduled to tip off at 7:45 pm ET. You can watch it on CBS or stream it on the March Madness Live app.
The BYU vs. Wisconsin matchup is just one of eight NCAA Tournament games on Saturday. Tune into all of the March Madness 2025 second-round action on CBS, TNT, TBS, and on the March Madness Live app. Let’s now dive into BYU vs. Wisconsin picks, odds, and predictions.
BYU vs. Wisconsin Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines
Before we get to our BYU vs. Wisconsin predictions, check out the betting lines on FanDuel Sportsbook. As of this writing, here are the BYU vs. Wisconsin odds:
- BYU Cougars (-104) vs. Wisconsin Badgers (-115)
- Spread: BYU +1.5 (-115) vs. Wisconsin -1.5 (-105)
- Game Total: Over 154.5 (-115) vs. Under 154.5 (-105)
BYU vs. Wisconsin Pick: Wisconsin Moneyline (-115 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
As noted above, BYU comes into this Round of 32 matchup on a roll. The Cougars are 10-1 straight up and 9-2 against the spread over their last 11 games. However, Wisconsin is also running hot. The Badgers are 11-4 SU and 10-5 ATS over their last 15 contests.
Wisconsin presents a tough matchup for BYU today for a few reasons. The Cougars’ style of play leads to plenty of three-point attempts on both ends of the court. They’re shooting 37.0% from three this season (31st in Division I) but also rely on that perimeter scoring a bit too much.
If BYU faces a team that can match its three-point scoring, then it may be an issue. Wisconsin is set up to do just that and more on offense. BYU ranks 250th nationally in opposing three-point percentage and allows perimeter scoring at the 11th-highest rate in the sport.
Wisconsin is shooting just 34.8% from three this year (121st), but it boasts multiple threats from beyond the arc. More importantly, the Badgers have a strong interior presence with 7-footer Steven Crowl and 6-foot-11 forward Nolan Winter. They can give Wisconsin an advantage in the paint for defensive rebounds and second-chance points as BYU is undersized in the front court.
Wisconsin also has edges in two key statistics. BYU ranks 207th nationally in offensive turnover rate and 245th in free-throw shooting. Meanwhile, the Badgers are 18th in offensive turnover rate and first overall in free-throw percentage. They can win the turnover battle and score from the line whereas those are worries for the Cougars.
Let’s take Wisconsin to win on the moneyline (-115 on FanDuel) for our BYU vs. Wisconsin predictions. BYU’s hot stretch comes to an end tonight when it meets an equally efficient offense. Plus, the Badgers’ top-25 defense will make a difference in the end.
BYU vs. Wisconsin Injury Report & Starting Lineups
BYU Cougars Injury Report
- None
BYU Cougars Expected Starters
- Richie Saunders (F) – 16.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG
- Egor Demin (G) – 10.5 PPG, 5.3 APG
- Trevin Knell (G) – 9.0 PPG, 2.4 RPG
- Keba Keita (F) – 7.2 PPG, 8.0 RPG
- Mawot Mag (F) – 5.8 PPG, 2.1 RPG
Wisconsin Badgers Injury Report
- None
Wisconsin Badgers Expected Starters
- John Tonje (G) – 19.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG
- John Blackwell (G) – 15.6 PPG, 2.2 APG
- Steven Crowl (F) – 9.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG
- Nolan Winter (F) – 9.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG
- Max Klesmit (G) – 9.1 PPG, 2.7 APG
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Player News
Lions offensive coordinator John Morton said it’s “going to be a breakout year” for Jameson Williams.
Morton said he’d never “been around someone that fast,” then quickly corrected himself to note that Jhamyr Gibbs is also that fast. Williams came on strong last year with a 58/1001/7 receiving line, but offensive coordinator praise could mean even more targets are coming. It would likely come at the expense of Amon-Ra St. Brown’s production if Williams were to truly break out, though there’s plenty for St. Brown to give and still be a top-flight fantasy wideout. It’s risky to read too much into statements like this in the offseason, but the new offensive coordinator telling you he thinks it’ll be a breakout year for Williams is certainly noteworthy.
Free agent CB Rasul Douglas is visiting the Seahawks on Tuesday.
It’s been a slow offseason for the veteran corner after a rough year with the Bills where he finished with just a 51.6 PFF coverage grade. The Dolphins have reportedly been in contact with Douglas, but this is the first known visit for him. He’d likely fit as a depth piece in Seattle, perhaps one that pushes Josh Jobe for a starting job outside in a best-case scenario.
Jets signed fourth-round WR Arian Smith to a four-year contract.
The good news for Smith is that he has a lot of depth chart runway. Garrett Wilson is the obvious No. 1, but neither Josh Reynolds nor Allen Lazard qualifies as a locked-in WR2 at this stage of their careers. Smith’s blazing speed has intrigued Aaron Glenn, who noted how fast he was in rookie minicamp over the weekend by simply noting “Arian has some juice.” The tough news is that as long as Justin Fields is the starter, it’s hard to believe he’ll be seeing many deep shots that aren’t schemed wide open. Still, Smith has some appeal in deeper leagues and could make an interesting dynasty stash.
Jaguars coach Liam Coen said seventh-round RB LeQuint Allen can “play a little bit of slot.”
“Obviously, he had 1,000 yards over the last two years, and then he can catch the ball out of the back field. Good in the screen game. Competitor, man,” Coen continued. As last year taught us, anyone involved in a Liam Coen screen game can be a fantasy factor. It’s probably a little too early to get excited about Allen — and Allen is behind Bhayshul Tuten in the Jacksonville running back pecking order — but Coen’s vision of how he wants to use Allen is noteworthy for fantasy leagues.
Panthers signed fourth-round RB Trevor Etienne to a four-year contract.
Etienne doesn’t figure to factor in much as a runner early behind Chuba Hubbard. But since neither Hubbard nor Rico Dowdle have a rich history of catching the football, it’s possible that Etienne winds up playing a third-down role for the Panthers early. That’ll depend mostly on if the coaches trust him in pass protection. It will likely take injuries ahead of him for the undersized Etienne to be a fantasy factor in his rookie season.
Seahawks signed fifth-round WR Tory Horton to a four-year contract.
They also officially agreed to terms with seventh-round RB Damien Martinez and seventh-round WR Ricky White III. Horton and White will probably battle for a spot at the end of the roster behind Cooper Kupp, Jaxson Smith-Njigba, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar has predicted that Horton will wind up as the main return specialist for Seattle this year in a recent mailbag. White and Jake Bobo will probably be in a true dogfight for the final spot in the wideout room.