Indiana vs. Wisconsin Line -8 for Badgers – College Basketball January 26
The Indiana vs. Wisconsin line was coming in at -8 for the Badgers after opening at -7. This game goes off January 26, 2012. For updated lines on this and all other games be sure to visit Sportsbook.com and start betting online today. Claim up to $250 FREE based on your initial deposit.
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: Wisconsin -8 & 125.5
Opening Line & Total: Badgers -7 & 126.5
Two ranked foes will come center stage for a crucial matchup in the Big Ten as No. 16 Indiana travels to the Kohl Center to take on defensive-minded No. 25 Wisconsin.
This game will be an exciting contrast between one of the nation’s best offenses and one of the top defenses in country. The Hoosiers are 15th in the nation with 79.9 PPG and secure those points on the country’s fifth best FG Pct. (50.0%). Wisconsin, and its slow pace, shuts opposing offenses down as the country’s best defense in both points and FG Pct, giving up only 49.6 PPG on 35.9% shooting. Additionally, both teams excel beyond the arc where Indiana shoots 44.9% (2nd-best in the country), and the Badgers limit teams to a 26.4% mark (5th in nation). Ultimately, while they are yielding seven points, Wisconsin has proven its mettle against Indiana in the past. In the team’s past eight meetings, the Badgers are 8-0 SU and 7-1 ATS. The Hoosiers failed to hit more than four threes in any of the eight losses, combining for an atrocious 23.8% clip (19-for-80) behind the arc. They will need to do improve this number in a big way to come out on top against this stingy Wisconsin squad. Additionally, Indiana has succeeded greatly this season by forcing turnovers, with a +1.9 turnover margin per game. This will be quite difficult to maintain against the Badgers who take care of the ball better than any team in the country with just 9.0 turnovers per game.
The Hoosiers sport a deep offensive attack, led by their pinnacle of efficiency Cody Zeller. The 6-foot-11 freshman has excelled in the college game with 15.1 PPG on an extremely impressive 66% shooting from the field. He is joined in the frontcourt by 6-foot-9 forward Christian Watford (12.6 PPG) who is more of an outside threat, notching 1.7 threes per game on a 48% clip from beyond the arc. In fact, his 3-point Pct. is much higher than his 2-point FG rate (40%), which says something about where this team’s success has been this year. In the backcourt, Jordan Hulls (12.4 PPG, 3.4 APG, 50% 3-pt FG) and Verdell Jones III (7.7 PPG, 3.5 APG) distribute the ball for the Hoosiers. This game could be a test though, for 6-foot-5 Victor Oladipo who should thrive at this pace. He is not a shooter (24% from beyond the arc) but leads the team with 1.8 steals per game.
None of Wisconsin’s offensive numbers are flashy due to its slow pace of play, but the Badgers are led by Jordan Taylor (14.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 4.4 APG) who has found his groove after a rough start to the season. Since Big Ten play has begun, he is averaging 17.1 PPG in eight games, closer to where he left off last season (18.1 PPG). In the paint, 6-foot-10 center Jared Berggren (11.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG) has struggled recently though, something the team is hoping he snapped out of with an 18-point performance on Sunday in the team’s 67-63 win over Illinois. Prior to that he had registered single-digit points in five straight games, averaging just 6.2 PPG in that span. Ryan Evans (9.7 PPG, 6.6 RPG) is the team’s best rebounder and both of them will have a good fight ahead of them with Zeller in the paint. As long as the Badgers can keep this game at their pace, which they almost always do, play on them to tame the Hoosiers.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
