Montana Grizzlies vs Wisconsin Badgers Prediction, Odds and Picks for Tomorrow, 03/20/25

It’s time for the first round of the NCAA Tournament and we have your Montana vs Wisconsin prediction right here!  Wisconsin fell to Michigan by six points in the Big Ten Championship, and they’ll be looking to bounce back in this game against the Grizzlies.  Montana enters this game on a high note, winning 14 of their last 15 games, which includes their Big Sky Tournament win over Northern Colorado.  Do the Grizzlies have what it takes to pull off an upset? Let’s dive in and find out!

Montana faced only one top 25 team this season, and that was against Tennessee where they lost by a final score of 92-57.  Wisconsin on the other hand, went 3-3 against top 25 teams this season, and they have plenty of talent to make a deep run in this year’s tournament. This is a large spread for the Badgers to cover, and even though both teams are efficient on offense, there is a stark difference between defenses.  According to KenPom, Wisconsin is ranked 27th in adjusted defensive efficiency with 96 points allowed per 100 possessions.  As for Montana, they’re ranked 250th allowing 110.4 points per 100 possessions.  Not to mention Wisconsin is a slightly better rebounding team pulling in 39.9 rebounds per game compared to Montana 35.  This is a large spread for the Badgers to cover, and even though the Grizzlies did not perform well against Tennessee earlier in the year, I think they’re playing at a different level now.  Look for Wisconsin to move on in this tournament, but the Grizzlies will do enough to cover the spread, making them my best bet of the day. 

Montana vs Wisconsin Prediction: Montana +17 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.