Wisconsin vs Kansas Basketball Prediction & Picks: Will the Jayhawks stay perfect to reach Battle 4 Atlantis final?

Bill Self’s return to the Kansas sideline was a winning one yesterday, as the reigning national champions saw off a spirited NC State squad to advance to the Battle 4 Atlantis semis, where they will face Wisconsin bright and early today.

While Kansas scored 80 points by themselves in the win over the Wolfpack, there were just a few more than that total in Wisconsin’s tight win over Dayton.

But in the end, winning is all that matters, and the Badgers’ 43-42 win over the Flyers sets up an intriguing matchup.

Which team will come out on top and advance to Friday’s final against either Tennessee or USC? You can find our Wisconsin vs Kansas prediction and betting picks below.

Wisconsin Badgers vs Kansas Jayhawks Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Wisconsin Badgers (4-0) vs #3 Kansas Jayhawks (5-0)
• Venue & Location: Imperial Arena (Nassau, Bahamas)
• Date: Thursday, November 24, 2022
• Game Time: 11:00 am ET
• How to Watch Wisconsin vs Kansas: ESPN

Wisconsin vs Kansas Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Thursday, November 24, 2022, at 8:40 am ET. Odds from our other recommended sports betting sites may also be used in this article.

Spread

• Wisconsin +6.5 (-110)
• Kansas -6.5 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 131.5 (-114)
• Under 131.5 (-106)

Moneyline

• Wisconsin +225
• Kansas -280

Can the Badgers Control the Tempo Against the Jayhawks?

It’s hard to envision Wisconsin winning this game unless they can control the tempo and keep Kansas quiet offensively. After scoring 85 points in their season-opening 26-point win against South Dakota, they have scored 60 (vs Stanford), 56 (vs Green Bay), and 43 (vs Dayton).

All have been in winning efforts, as they held the Cardinal to 50, the Phoenix to 45, and the Flyers to 42.

Their task is a bit more difficult in this matchup. The Jayhawks have scored 80+ points in four of their five games, with the exception being their Champions Classic win over Duke.

Can the Badgers do what they need to do to give themselves a chance? It begins and ends with keeping Jalen Wilson and Gradey Dick from lighting it up.

Wilson was only 5 of 15 from the field, including 1 of 5 from three, against NC State, but he went to the charity stripe 12 times and made eight of them to finish with 19 points to make it five straight games with 19+ points.

While Wilson’s shots weren’t falling, Dick picked up the slack with a big game from the perimeter. He was only 7 of 17 overall from the field, but he nailed six threes (in a dozen attempts) and was also a perfect five for five from the free-throw line as he scored a career-high 25 points.

Dajuan Harris Jr. (14 points) and Kevin McCullar Jr. (10 points) both reached double figures against the Wolfpack, while K.J. Adams Jr. chipped in with eight points, but if Wisconsin can keep Wilson and Dick from combining for 40+, their chances of a win go up exponentially.

Wisconsin vs Kansas Prediction and Picks

Wisconsin vs Kansas Prediction: Kansas to win

Wisconsin vs Kansas Picks: Wisconsin team total under (Best Value: under 62.5 @ -110 at BetUS) & Kansas to cover (Best Value: -6.5 @ -110 at BetOnline & BetUS)

The Jayhawks already proved against Duke that they can beat a quality opponent when the shots aren’t falling, and they have survived back-to-back upset bids by Southern Utah and NC State.

So, they have certainly gotten some good prep in for a game that could be even more challenging than the game against Duke, given how the Badgers prefer to play.

I largely prefer to focus on picking my spots with overs when it comes to college basketball totals, so it’s not often that you will see me jump on an under of any sort, especially one with a number this low.

But since shooting 50.9 percent overall from the field and 46.2 from three against South Dakota, the Badgers have shot just 30.4 percent overall and 28.8 percent from three in their last three games.

I think Wisconsin can do a pretty solid job defensively against Kansas, but I do not see them generating enough offense to pull the upset in Nassau.

Other College Basketball Content at Betting News

• College Basketball Predictions & Picks