Halftime Report

James Madison is on the road but looking no worse for wear. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead Wisconsin 33-20.

James Madison entered the game having won 13 straight and they're just one half away from another. Will they make it 14, or will Wisconsin step up and spoil it? We'll know soon.

Who's Playing

James Madison Dukes @ Wisconsin Badgers

Current Records: James Madison 28-3, Wisconsin 19-12

How To Watch

What to Know

The Wisconsin Badgers and the James Madison Dukes are set to clash at 9:40 p.m. ET on Friday at Barclays Center in a Big Ten postseason contest. Wisconsin is no doubt hoping to put an end to a six-game streak of away losses.

Wisconsin pushed their score all the way to 87 on Sunday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They fell 93-87 to the Fighting Illini. Wisconsin has not had much luck with Illinois recently, as the team's come up short the last seven times they've met.

Despite their loss, Wisconsin saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Chucky Hepburn, who scored 20 points along with five assists and five rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. AJ Storr was another key contributor, scoring 24 points along with five rebounds and three steals.

Even though they lost, Wisconsin were working as a unit and finished the game with 17 assists. This was only their second loss (out of seven games) when they've passed the ball that well.

Meanwhile, James Madison waltzed into their game last Monday with 12 straight wins but they left with 13. They were the clear victor by a 91-71 margin over the Red Wolves. Winning is a bit easier when your three-point shooting is a whole 29.9% better than the opposition, as James Madison's was.

James Madison can attribute much of their success to Xavier Brown, who shot 5-for-6 from deep and dropped a double-double on 21 points and ten rebounds. Another player making a difference was Jaylen Carey, who scored 13 points.

The Badgers' defeat dropped their record down to 22-12. As for the Dukes, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 16 of their last 17 matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 31-3 record this season.

Wisconsin is hoping to beat the odds on Friday, as the experts think they're headed for a loss. For those looking to play the spread, watch out: Wisconsin is expected to win, but their 7-12-1 record against the spread as such isn't exactly encouraging.

Odds

Wisconsin is a solid 5.5-point favorite against James Madison, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 5.5-point spread, and stayed right there.


The over/under is 145 points.

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