Indiana vs Wisconsin Preview: Badgers Look to Bounce Back
Wisconsin Playing With Revenge After Last Year's Beatdown
The Indiana Hoosiers visit the Wisconsin Badgers for a Big Ten Conference clash on Friday. The Hoosiers (12-6) are coming off an 87-66 setback to Purdue. The No. 11 Badgers are coming in off an 87-83 upset loss to Penn State. The NCAA basketball odds had Wisconsin at -5.5, so the loss will knock the Badgers down in the next NCAA basketball rankings. It was the first conference loss for Wisconsin, which still leads the Big Ten with a 5-1 record. The Indiana vs Wisconsin preview sees the Badgers are favored by 11 points and the total is down slightly to 143 after opening 144.
Hoosiers vs Badgers 
Location: Kohl Center, Madison, Wisconsin
Day/Time:
Streaming: Watch Live Sports
Hoosier in Middle of Rough Stretch
After starting Big Ten Conference play 4-2, Indiana is now in the middle of three extremely tough games, with Purdue, Wisconsin, and Illinois. All three teams are ranked in the Associated Press top 14 teams. The Hoosiers were never in the game against Purdue, trailing 51-29 at halftime. Things won’t get any easier being on the road the next two games.
The Hoosiers aren’t a bad-shooting team from the field. Indiana is solid at the 2-point range, shooting 52.9%, and is average in 3-point range at 33.7%. But the Hoosiers are poor from the foul line and on the offensive glass. Indiana gets to the free-throw line frequently, but can’t take advantage of its opportunities. Against Purdue, the Boilermakers had a 22-4 scoring advantage from the charity stripe.
On defense, Indiana allows teams to shoot 41.2% from the field. The Hoosiers are better defending the inside than the outside. Indiana holds teams to 47% from 2-point range, which is 3.3% below average. The Hoosiers allow 33% on 3-pointers. Indiana doesn’t help itself by allowing too many second chances and not forcing many turnovers.
Indiana plays at a pace slightly faster than average. But the Hoosiers aren’t racing up-and-down the court, either. The Hoosiers are 2-4 against the spread on the road and 4-3 in totals. The Hoosiers have seen their points come down a little bit since conference play started.
Badgers Coming Off Bad Loss
Wisconsin is likely to be in a foul mood after losing to Penn State. The KenPom rankings have Wisconsin as No. 12 in the country and Penn State is No. 106. It’s a game Wisconsin has to win if it wants to compete for the conference title. The Nittany Lions are the lowest-ranked team the Badgers have lost to this season. Wisconsin allowed Penn State to shoot 60% from field goal range. You’re not going to win many games with efforts like that.
Offensively, Wisconsin is going to slow things down and look for good shots. The Indiana vs Wisconsin preview notes the Badgers are No. 346 in the nation in possession time. Wisconsin holds the ball 19.4 seconds per possession. Indiana is at 16.8 seconds for comparison. But the Badgers style hasn’t hurt the team in scoring much. Wisconsin averages 75.6 points per game against teams allowing 68.6 points per game. But the Badgers do the little things right. Wisconsin shoots well, doesn’t make a lot of turnovers, and can grab some offensive rebounds.
On defense, the Badgers aren’t a great defense team when it comes to allowing field goals. Wisconsin is No. 265 in 3-point percentage and No. 209 in 2-point field goal percentage allowed. Where the Badgers excel is by not allowing offensive rebounds and not sending teams to the foul line. The Badgers are slightly better than average in forcing turnovers.
What to Expect
Indiana will come out and try to get the ball inside. The Badgers aren’t great at defending, so it makes sense for the Hoosiers to try and do what they do best. The Hoosiers can shoot from the outside a little bit. But the NCAAB stats say Indiana is a better team inside the paint.
The Badgers are going to slow things down, be patient, and try to get off good shots. Indiana’s defense has shown it defends the paint better than the outside, so the Badgers could shoot a few more 3-pointers than normal.
Who to Bet On?
The Indiana vs Wisconsin preview notes the Badgers have played the tougher schedule so far this season. So it makes sense their stats might not look as good as other 13-4 teams. Wisconsin has played the sixth-toughest slate in the country, according to the KenPom rankings.
Wisconsin is 9-1 straight-up at home, but just 6-4 against the spread. Wisconsin is 2-3 as a double-digit favorite this season and 9-8 in totals, including a 7-3 mark in home totals.
The Hoosiers thumped Wisconsin last season in the only meeting between the two NCAAB teams, winning 63-45. The Badgers will be looking to make amends, but the under 143 is probably the best value in this game.
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