Wisconsin Badgers vs. Purdue Boilermakers
Pick: Click here for expert college basketball picks | Bet: Click here to bet on this game | Odds: Click here for current odds

Two of the top teams in the Big Ten engage in a college basketball betting war in West Lafayette on Thursday night, and NCAA basketball gambling fans won’t want to miss any of the action! The Wisconsin Badgers (16-4, 10-8 ATS) will duke it out with the Purdue Boilermakers (16-3, 8-10-1 ATS) for the second time this season. Back on January 9th at the Kohl Center, the Badgers handed the then-undefeated Boilers their first loss of the season 73-66. Wiscy survived a major scare from Penn State at home in its last game on Saturday, but ultimately walked away with a 79-71 overtime victory. Purdue has rolled off back-to-back comfortable victories since losing three straight games.

For the Badgers, the key is simple: Play solid defense. They had held their conference foes to just 52.4 points per game before that outburst by the Nittany Lions. Wisconsin is only averaging 5.5 steals per game as a team, which seems like a pedestrian number, but feels a lot more impressive considering how much it limits its opponents’ possessions over the course of a game. On the offensive side of the court, G Trevon Hughes and F Jon Leuer lead the way. Both are averaging at least 15 points per game, but Leuer has been out of the lineup since the first Purdue game.

Purdue is a team that is built on its defense as well, but of late, that defense had really let the team down. Four straight foes had scored at least 70 points on the Boilermakers before they held Michigan down to 59 over the weekend. To no surprise, they only went 1-3 SU and ATS in those four games. Offensively, what makes Purdue’s train go is the play of its trio of juniors, F JaJuan Johnson, F Robbie Hummel, and G E’Twaun Moore. All three are lethal shooters and can ruin even the most effective defensive schemes.

The underdog is a stellar 7-1 ATS over the L/8 NCAA basketball betting matchups between these two squads, with the only cover for the host coming last season when the Boilers hosted the Badgers. Wisconsin’s cover against Purdue three weeks ago was its first ATS victory in this series since January 2005.

Visit Touthouse.com for more NCAA basketball picks from our professional sports handicappers. Be sure to sign-up for our free sports predictions newsletter for exclusive betting information from our experts

If you enjoyed this article then you may be interested in:

1. NCAA Basketball Betting: Wisconsin vs. Michigan State Pick & Odds: January 6th 2010
2. College Basketball: Ohio State vs. Purdue Odds & Pick: January 12th 2010
3. Michigan Wolverines vs. Purdue Boilermakers Betting Odds, Pick & Prediction: January 23rd 2010
4. College Basketball Betting: Wisconsin vs. Northwestern: January 7th 2009
5. Free College Basketball Picks & Predictions: January 20th 2010
6. NCAA Basketball Betting: Michigan State vs. Purdue Odds & Picks: February 17th 2009
7. Purdue Boilermakers vs. Illinois Fighting Illini Pick & Odds: January 19th 2010