Wisconsin Badgers vs. Purdue Boilermakers Preview
Where: Mackey Arena — West Lafayette, Indiana
When: Sunday, December 8, 2017, 4:30 PM ET
Line: Wisconsin Badgers vs. Purdue Boilermakers – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: CBS
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Betting on the Wisconsin Badgers (13-2, 2-0 Big Ten)
No. 13 Wisconsin is playing like the best, if not one of the top programs in the Big Ten right now. The Badgers have won nine straight games after losing to North Carolina back in late November.
Their most recent win came on Tuesday night at Bloomington, where they gutted out a 75-68 win over No. 25 Indiana to set themselves for a pair of rare feats for this afternoon’s showdown with 20th-ranked Purdue.
No Badgers team has won both at Indiana and at Purdue in the same season since 1972, while a win for them would also mark the first time since Illinois in 1956 that a Big Ten team won at those places in consecutive games.
Wisconsin’s stifling defense, which allows just 59.4 points per game, will be tasked to limit a double-double monster in Caleb Swanigan. He’s looked unstoppable of late, but the Badgers boast a solid frontcourt with Ethan Happ and Nigel Hayes, who both should frustrate the Purdue sophomore with their length, size and mobility.
Hayes has scored in double figures in all but one of his last seven games, including a trio of 20 plus-point efforts versus Oklahoma, Green Bay and Rutgers. On the season, he’s averaging 13.7 points per contest, behind leading point-getter and his fellow senior Bronson Koenig (14.3).
Betting on the Purdue Boilermakers (13-3, 2-1 Big Ten)
Purdue barely went home as winners in Columbus last Thursday night, as the Buckeyes went on a furious second-half rally before coming up a point short at the end of regulation, 76-75.
Caleb Swanigan nailed a clutch free throw with five seconds left to help Purdue squeak out its second conference victory. He submitted his 13th double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 boards, while Vincent Edwards also pitched in 16 to pace the team.
Isaac Haas, their second leading scorer this season, was held to just six points but secured 10 rebounds. The Boilermakers need him to pick up the scoring later against the No. 13 Wisconsin, which is one of the few programs in the country that are holding opponents’ below 60 points on average.
Purdue’s defense, however, has lost some edge. It’s allowed 167 points combined in the last two games, including 91 in the loss to Minnesota. That’s an area where the Badgers, who are racking up 77.4 points per game, will surely try to capitalize on.
The Boilermakers beat Wisconsin twice last season, and are 9-1 SU in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Wisconsin prevails, 72-69.
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