Purdue Wisconsin Betting – Boilermakers Continue To Struggle On The Road
Sports betting players know that college teams can’t play all of their games at home, and to prove you’re a legitimate March Madness contender, you have to be able to pull out some close ones on the road, which is something that Purdue has struggled with lately. That struggle could continue on Tuesday at Wisconsin, where the Badgers have been unbeatable so far this season.
- What: NCAA Basketball Betting
- When: Tuesday, February 1st, 7:00 PM ET
- Where: Kohl Center, Madison, WI
- Pick: Wisconsin Badgers
Why Bet On Purdue
The Boilermakers (18-4, 7-2) are finishing a string of four consecutive games against ranked opponents, and they bounced back from a throttling at top-ranked Ohio State with a 12-point win over Minnesota. Despite the loss to the Buckeyes, the Boilermakers may still have the favorite for Big Ten Player of the Year in JuJuan Johnson, who leads the conference in scoring with 20.7 points, along with 7.8 boards and 2.1 blocks. E’Twaun Moore is struggling with his shot, but he’s still putting up 17.5 points. Junior guards Ryne Smith and Lewis Jackson support the seniors well, and the Boilermakers take very good care of the ball, coming in 11th in turnovers and 14th in assists. Many wondered how the Boilermakers were going to react with Robbie Hummel gone, and Purdue has really stepped up without their leader. In fact, the senior leadership of Johnson and Moore should give some NCAA basketball betting players a lot of faith in Purdue.
Now, the downside is that the Boilermakers have really struggled away from West Lafayette, losing their last three road games at Minnesota, West Virginia and Ohio State. The Boilermakers are 2-3 SU in their last five trips to Madison, although they do have an excellent 4-1 ATS mark in that time. These are the games in which the seniors, Johnson and Moore, have to step up even more.
Why Bet On Wisconsin
The Badgers (15-5, 5-3) may have been caught looking ahead to this game fell 56-52 at Penn State, although we have to give the Nittany Lions credit for being a better team than many expected. Similar to Purdue, the Badgers have an inside-outside combo in senior center Jon Leuer (19.2 points, 6.8 rebounds) and junior guard Jordan Taylor (17.4 points, 4.5 boards, 4.5 assists), while another senior, Keaton Nankivil adds beef up front. The Badgers are an impressive defensive team, ranking third in the nation in points allowed, but they’re only ninth in personal fouls, which means they’re disciplined. Wisconsin also leads the country in free-throw percentage, turnovers and assist/turnover ratio.
Wisconsin’s NCAA basketball betting odds will hinge on their defensive ability, because they’re not going to outscore anyone. Their supporting cast isn’t as strong as Purdue is offensively, and they’re also going to have to step it up on the boards as they’re 278th in the country in total rebounds, while the Boilermakers are 134th.
How The Game Will Play Out
You should see the Badgers as a slight NCAA basketball betting favorite at home at the Kohl Center, where they are 11-0 SU so far this (14 straight wins going back to last season), and they’re 6-3 ATS. The Boilermakers are 4-3 SU on the road and 5-3 ATS, but three losses in a row on the road should worry some players. The Boilermakers have won five of the last six in this rivalry, and the Badgers need a win to prove they belong with the big boys of the Big Ten. We’re going to go with homecourt advantage in this one and pick the Badgers at home, as Johnson should step up, but Wisconsin can force Moore into another bad shooting night, which will be enough for the online betting win.
Purdue Wisconsin Betting Pick: Wisconsin Badgers
