ACC/Big Ten Challenge Wisconsin @ North Carolina Odds, Free Picks and Predictions

Free College Basketball Picks and Spreads: Wisconsin Badgers @ North Carolina Tar Heels 2011 NCAA Basketball Vegas Odds, Free Picks, and Expert Predictions on ESPN Tuesday 11/30/11: The ACC/Big Ten Challenge will bring two top-10 teams together for the second night in a row when the seventh-ranked Wisconsin Badgers (6-0) head to Chapel Hill to face the fifth-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels (5-1) Wednesday night. For the Badgers, the game is a chance to prove that they truly belong among the elite teams in the country this season. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels will be looking to rebound from a surprising loss to UNLV and work their way back to the top spot in the country. With a matchup against top-ranked Kentucky looming this weekend, North Carolina is an eight-point favorite in Wednesday’s meeting with Wisconsin.

In terms of style of play, these two teams couldn’t get any different. The Tar Heels are loaded with explosive athletes and want to push the tempo. North Carolina has a high-scoring offense and wants to play in the open court as much as possible. Wisconsin takes the opposite approach. The Badgers love to play in half court sets, bleeding the shot clock on offense and locking down opponents on the defensive end. Wednesday’s game will be a clash of styles, and whichever team controls the tempo should control the game.

On paper, the Tar Heels have a huge advantage in the paint. North Carolina has experienced big men John Henson and Tyler Zeller in the middle, along with freshman star James McAdoo. The Tar Heels’ size has allowed them to control the boards on both ends this season as well as get easy baskets in the post. However, their advantage could be somewhat neutralized by the Wisconsin big men that spread the court all the way to the 3-point line on the offensive end. North Carolina’s big men will have to make the adjustment on defense, and the Tar Heels guards will have to help out on the defensive glass.

For the Badgers, the biggest challenge will be controlling North Carolina’s star forward Harrison Barnes. The sophomore surprised the college basketball world by returning to school, and he picked up where he left off last year, leading the team in scoring. Barnes can score in a variety of ways, and when he is getting to the foul line on a regular basis, he is a nightmare to guard. When Barnes scores early, the offense opens up for the rest of the Tar Heels’ talented roster. Wisconsin has to limit his impact in order to win.

The X-factor in the matchup could be Wisconsin point guard Jordan Taylor. He does it all for the Badgers on both ends of the court, and the ball will be in his hands in any tight game. Taylor’s talent on the defensive end will be his biggest asset Wednesday night. The recipe for stopping the Tar Heels’ offense to is to slow down point guard Kendall Marshall. Considering he is averaging more than 10 assists per game this season, it is easier said than done. However, Taylor is the type of player that can cause any guard problems, and if he can force Marshall to play in more half court sets, the edge swings heavily to the Badgers.

In the end, Wisconsin should have an easier time imposing their style of play. There is little the Tar Heels will be able to do on defense to speed up the Badgers’ offense. The key for North Carolina will be keeping frustration and bay and not rushing shots on the offensive end. The Tar Heels superior athleticism should win out, especially in Chapel Hill, but Wisconsin’s grinding style tends to keep every game close. With an eight-point spread to work with, the Badgers should get the job done for bettors even in defeat.

Prediction: Wisconsin Badgers (+8) Cover the Spread

Stop by NSAwins.com daily throughout the NCAA Basketball season for daily Free College Basketball Picks and Vegas College Basketball Lines plus daily updated Men’s 2012 National Championship Futures Odds.