The Wisconsin Badgers are clearly hoping that their experience can help to propel them into the Elite 8, and they already shook up things last time out by defeating the defending national champion Villanova Wildcats. On Friday night they will face off against a tough-as-nails opponent in the Florida Gators, in March Madness betting action that begins at approximately 9:59 PM ET at Madison Square Garden in New York. CBS will televise the game, and BetAnySports customers will have the opportunity, even after the opening whistle, to engage in real-time wagering, with the assistance of Live Betting Ultra.

Florida is 26-8 straight-up thus far, with a solid 19-13 ATS mark. If they win this game, they could conceivably play South Carolina, an SEC rival, in the Elite 8. They did not have so much good fortune at Madison Square Garden prior to this, as they lost by 10 points against Duke on December 6. So obviously there is some redemption in order. Coach Mike White insists that his team is better defensively now, as they have bought into his philosophy. Judging by their last effort, you'd have to believe he's right; the Gators completely suffocated Virginia, limiting the Cavaliers to 29.6% from the field and only 39 points.

In the March Madness basketball betting odds posted on this game by the folks at BetAnySports, Florida is the slight favorite:

Florida Gators -1.5
Wisconsin Badgers +1.5

Over 131.5 points -110
Under 131.5 points -110

Anyone who looks at things objectively would have to admit that Virginia has the ability to look really horrible on the offensive end, and this may be a different story. Wisconsin has not necessarily played with a whole lot of consistency in the second half of the schedule, going 6-6 straight-up in their last dozen games. But they have definitely shown up for the NCAA Tournament, first beating a very difficult Virginia Tech squad 84-74, and then shooting 53% from the floor against Villanova, which was #1 in the country in both major polls.

Of course, we have to acknowledge some potential weaknesses with the Wisconsin side. For example, they do not shoot their free throws very well (only 64.3%). And center Ethan Happ is particularly inept; even though he has shot 58% from the field on the season, he's only 49.4% accurate from the line. White was asked about a possible "Hack-a-Happ" strategy, but he admitted that might be difficult, since the Gators are missing center John Egbunu, who suffered a knee injury. They been able to make use of reinforcements, including Kevarrius Hayes, who is a pretty good shot blocker (1.6 per game). And they have gotten some special contributions out of Devin Robinson, who had 24 points and seven rebounds against East Tennessee State, then followed that with 14 points and 11 boards against Virginia. Robinson is very athletic, and he is going to present difficulty for whoever guards him on the Wisconsin side.

You could say the same thing for Nigel Hayes as well, as the senior who scored 19 points against Villanova is looking to go to his third Final Four. Touted in the pre-season as a possible Big Ten player of the year, Hayes has more NCAA Tournament points than any active player, and he scored 19 against Villanova, as a key man in the victory. Jay Wright, coach of the Wildcats, called in a "matchup nightmare." Three seniors make the start for the Badgers, and so they were around a couple of years ago when this team upset Kentucky's undefeated applecart on the way to a Final Four appearance. With both of these teams capable of superb defensive efforts, we wonder whether the "under" might be in order for this one.

BetAnySports offers you a completely unique sports betting experience, as you get reduced juice, which gives you better value in the March Madness basketball betting odds...... And, if you want to add some extra thrills, take advantage of Live Betting Ultra and make real-time wagers while the teams are going up and down the court...... You also get a choice when it comes to making a deposit, as you can use your Visa card, person-to-person transfers or the virtual currency of Bitcoin, which is fast and easy with their automated system and gives you the ultimate in privacy and confidentiality!