Purdue vs. Wisconsin Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Sunday, Feb. 4
Without question, the top game on Sunday's college basketball slate is the Big Ten showdown between No. 2 Purdue and No. 6 Wisconsin.
Wisconsin was on a tear through the conference before an overtime last to Nebraska on Feb.1, while Purdue is 9-2 in Big Ten play and looking to further establish itself as the team to beat not just in the Big Ten, but in all of college basketball.
In this article, I'm going to break down everything you need to know to bet on this game, including my best bet.
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Purdue vs. Wisconsin odds, spread, and total
Purdue vs. Wisconsin betting trends
- The OVER is 6-2 in Purdue's last eight games
- Purdue has won six-straight games
- Wisconsin is 1-4 ATS in its last five games
- The OVER is 5-1 in Wisconsin's last six games
- Wisconsin is 1-5-1 ATS in its last seven games played on a Sunday
Purdue vs. Wisconsin how to watch
- Date: Sunday, February 4
- Game Time: 1:00 PM EST
- Venue: Kohl Center
- How to Watch (TV): CBS
- Purdue Record: 20-2 (9-2 in Big Ten)
- Wisconsin Record: 16-5 (8-2 in Big Ten)
Purdue vs. Wisconsin key players to watch
Purdue
Braden Smith: All eyes are on Zach Edey, and rightfully so, but don't underestimate the important of Braden Smith is the general of this Purdue offense. He's averaging 7.5 assists per game while shooting 46.2% from the field. When he plays well, the rest of the offense benefits in a big way.
Wisconsin
Steven Crowl: The big question for the Badgers is whether or not they can shut down Zach Edey and their best chance of doing so is Steven Crowl. The 7-foot junior is averaging 7.8 rebounds per game while shooting 57.6% from the field.
Purdue vs. Wisconsin prediction and pick
Home court advantage seems to be more significant in the Big Ten than any other conference and that idea is reflected in the splits for both of these teams. Wisconsin's effective field goal percentage goes up 9% when playing at home compared to one the road while Purdue's drops 8.4% on the road compared to at home.
The defensive numbers follow a similar story so any time we bet on the Big Ten, including this game, the road/away splits have to be front of mind. Is Purdue the better team? I'd say absolutely. Should we be laying two points on them at Wisconsin? I don't think so.
Let's also consider that Purdue has a bit of a turnover issue, ranking 132nd in the country in turnovers per possessions while also coughing up the ball on 18.1% of possessions when playing on the road. That could prove to be a big issue against this Wisconsin team today.
I'll back the underdog Badgers in this afternoon's marquee matchup.
Pick: Wisconsin +2.5 (-110)
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
You can check out all of Iain's bets here!