The Purdue Boilermakers are set to face the Wisconsin Badgers. Check out our college basketball odds series, which includes our Purdue Wisconsin prediction, odds, and pick.
The Purdue Boilermakers have not had a bad season. They are in line to get a top-three seed in the NCAA Tournament, as college basketball odds analysts know. Yet, this season has not been everything the Boilermakers wanted it to be. Remember: This team was No. 1 in the polls for the first time in school history in December, and it promptly lost at Rutgers. Purdue very nearly lost to North Carolina State, which is not a very good team, before escaping the Wolfpack in overtime. Purdue beat Maryland by one point at home. This team has not been the dominant force its fans hoped it would be. That's part of the calculus when thinking about a Purdue Wisconsin prediction.
Yet, for all of this team's limitations and weaknesses — chiefly a thin bench which has not been able to supplement the starters and give coach Matt Painter more flexibility in matching up against opponents — Purdue can still win a share of the Big Ten championship if it wins this game in Madison. The Boilermakers are coming off a loss to Michigan State which took away their leverage, but if they beat Wisconsin, they can still tie the Badgers in the conference standings heading into the final weekend of the regular season. Even though this 2022 journey has had a lot of bumps in the road, a win here still enables Purdue to pursue a Big Ten championship, which was a foremost goal before the season began. Everything is still there in front of the Boilermakers. They still have so much to play for, a strong motivating factor in this game. Think about that when formulating your Purdue Wisconsin pick.
The surprise team in this game is obviously Wisconsin. The Purdue Wisconsin odds suggest that the Boilermakers should win this game, but Wisconsin has defied the odds this season. It defied the college basketball odds when it beat Purdue in West Lafayette several weeks ago. Johnny Davis, one of the foremost contenders for national player of the year in college basketball, was brilliant against the Boilermakers on that night in Mackey Arena, and he is the main reason Wisconsin leads the Big Ten (and Purdue) by one game after a Saturday win at Rutgers (where Purdue failed to win). Davis is an elite scorer and shot creator. He limits this team's flaws. He is a Danny Manning “climb on my back and I'll carry this win home” type of player who will be a spotlight star in March Madness. Wisconsin is one win away from clinching at least a share of the Big Ten title for the second time in the past three seasons, having won the Big Ten in 2020. It's a huge night for both teams. Wisconsin will bank on the fact that it has Johnny Davis and Purdue does not.
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Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Purdue-Wisconsin odds:
College Basketball Odds: Purdue-Wisconsin Odds
Purdue: -3 (-114)
Wisconsin: +3 (-106)
Over: 144.5 (-110)
Under: 144.5 (-110)
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Why Purdue Could Cover the Spread
The Boilermakers are coming off a loss. They lost to Wisconsin earlier in the season. They will be mad. They will be focused. Wisconsin has lost twice at home in Big Ten play, to Michigan State and Rutgers.
Why Wisconsin Could Cover the Spread
The Badgers have Johnny Davis. They will play in front of an amped-up home crowd in the Kohl Center. They have been overachieving all season. Why not one more time?
Final Purdue-Wisconsin Prediction & Pick
Purdue entered the season with the expectation that it would win the Big Ten title. The season hasn't gone as expected, but Purdue can rescue its season here. The Boilermakers will play with the level of urgency they need to get the job done.
Final Purdue-Wisconsin Pick: Purdue -3
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