Wisconsin vs. Minnesota Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for Wednesday, March 5

Reed Wallach | Mar 5, 2025

Feb 8, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) looks to shoot against Iowa Hawkeyes forward Payton Sandfort (20) during the first half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Wisconsin will look to shake off a loss to Michigan State on Sunday afternoon with a road game to rival Minnesota. 

The Golden Gophers have had a dismal season in Big Ten play but have been able to spark some upsets on the road over the last month, including Saturday against Nebraska. Can the team end its season by playing spoiler for a conference tournament contender like Wisconsin? 

Here’s our betting preview. 

Wisconsin vs. Minnesota Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

• Wisconsin: -6.5 (-110)
• Minnesota: +6.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Wisconsin: -275
• Minnesota: +220

Total: 140.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Wisconsin vs. Minnesota How to Watch

• Date: Wednesday, March 5th
• Game Time: 8:30 PM EST
• Venue: Williams Arena
• How to Watch (TV): Big Ten Network
• Wisconsin Record: 22-7
• Minnesota Record: 15-14

Wisconsin vs. Minnesota Key Players to Watch 

Wisconsin

John Tonje: Tonje has been stellar this season, but he struggled to find his shot in East Lansing over the weekend, making only one of his eight three-point attempts as the Badgers couldn’t do enough on offense to keep up with the Spartans. However, Tonje is a game-wrecker on offense, averaging over 19 points per game with five rebounds and nearly two assists. 

Minnesota

Dawson Garcia: The big man has had some impressive showings, including scoring 32 back on February 18th against UCLA in a surprising win. He may need another big effort on Wednesday against Wisconsin to pull an upset. He is averaging over 19 points with seven rebounds per game. 

Wisconsin vs. Minnesota Prediction and Pick

Minnesota may have an answer for Wisconsin’s perimeter-oriented offense that is 18th in the country in three-point rate. The Gophers are allowing the 35th lowest three-point rate while sporting average post defense, which can make it difficult for the Badgers to run their preferred offense. 

Neither team plays all that fast and hunts transition opportunities, so I believe we can see this game be played in the half-court and feature plenty of shaky possessions on both sides of the ball. 

Minnesota’s offense has been poor for much of the season, outside of Garcia’s exceptional scoring. The team is 14th in the Big Ten in effective field goal percentage while averaging the longest possession length, per KenPom. With Wisconsin’s turnover percentage ranking in the bottom third in league competition, Minnesota’s offense should stall out amidst long possessions. 

With a prodding pace, I don’t like this matchup for either offense and I’ll take the under. 

PICK: UNDER 140.5 (-105, available at FanDuel Sportsbook)

Create a new FanDuel Sportsbook account, and you can get $150 in bonus bets if you win your first $5 wager. Download the FanDuel app and deposit a minimum of $5 to claim your new-user bonus today.

---

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.