Indiana vs. Wisconsin Prediction and Odds: The Hoosiers Defense is their Key to Victory

Big Ten rivals face-off tonight on the hardwood when the Indiana Hoosiers hit the road to take on the No. 22 Wisconsin Badgers. The Hoosiers enter this road matchup coming off a 68-55 win over Nebraska on Saturday while the Badgers beat Marquette 89-76. These teams possess two of the best defenses in the nation in terms of defensive efficiency with Indiana No. 8 in the country and Wisconsin at No. 37. 

This will be the first game in conference play for the Wisconsin Badgers who are enjoying a five-game win streak. The Badgers are 7-1 after beating up on Marquette their last game out.

Here are the odds for this Big Ten matchup, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.

Indiana vs. Wisconsin Odds, Spread and Total

Spread:

• Indiana +5.0 (-110)
• Wisconsin -5.0 (-110)

Moneyline:

• Indiana +170
• Wisconsin -215

Total: 130.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Indiana vs. Wisconsin Prediction and Pick

 It is a good thing that Wisconsin is playing strong defense because its offense has been struggling out of the gate. Heading into this game, the Badgers are 169th in the nation in scoring offense with an average of 70.6 points per game and 324th with 9.8 assists per game. Actually, for a team ranked in the Top-25, Wisconsin's offense should be considered one of the worst.  Their effective field goal percentage is 47.4 and they are shooting 41.4 percent overall. The thing is, their defense isn’t good enough to make up this lack of scoring once the Badgers are forced to play better teams. 

I see this being a massive problem tonight against Indiana. For a team that struggles to score as much as Wisconsin does, a game against such a good defensive team could spell trouble. The Hoosiers are holding opponents to just a 40.2 opponent effective FG percentage and are third in the nation in opponent shooting percentage. 

I think the Badgers are in for a letdown in their 2021 Big Ten debut as they struggle to put up points against a potent Indiana defense. 

Pick: Indiana +170