Wisconsin dealt Michgan its only league loss -- while on the road, no less. The Badgers have won five in a row outright, coverng in four, while the Wolverines have covered in just one of the last six as bettors become overly enamored with them. Ailing starter Nolan Winter has not played lately for the Badgers, but their offense has not suffered -- with scoring up. They excel as sizable underdogs, having not only covered but won outright when receiving at least eight ponts. If there is a worry, they must rally physically after being extended nto overtime Friday. Their mental readiness aganst mighty Michigan is no concern.

Michigan was out of sync a little bit offensively in the quarterfinals win against Ohio State, turning in the team’s lowest per-possession scoring (1.06) since the loss to Duke in Washington, D.C.. But after shaking the rust off, I think the Wolverines will be dialed in to getting revenge against a Wisconsin team that handed the regular season champs their only conference loss. The key will be making the Badgers’ shooters uncomfortable, and keeping Nick Boyd and John Blackwell from heating up on the perimeter. Michigan’s poor shooting on Friday brings some hesitation with predicting an explosive offensive output, but dialing in on defense should be part of the team’s rhythm now after having to chase around Bruce Thornton for 40 minutes.