The Indiana Hoosiers have hit a midseason lull, and in a competitive Big 10, need to turn it around sooner rather than later. They will have another tough test when the nationally ranked Wisconsin Badgers come to town.
Even though Indiana is on a two-game losing streak, the home court advantage may be enough for it to be a slight favorite in this matchup. Wisconsin has won seven consecutive games and will look to keep riding high by knocking off another quality opponent.
At 7 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Tuesday, January 3, 2017, at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Tueday schedule.
Odds at BookMaker.eu
Indiana is 10-4 straight up and 6-6 against the spread on the year. The Hoosiers have played eight home games this season and covered the spread in five of them. They have been the favorite nine times and may be a slight one in this matchup, although it wouldn’t be a shock if Indiana is a slight underdog.
The Hoosiers are 4-5 against the spread as the favorite and 2-1 trying to cover as the underdog.
Wisconsin is 12-2 straight up and 7-4 against the spread on the year. The Badgers have only played a pair of true road games and have covered one. Wisconsin is 7-3 against the spread as the favorite and failed to cover in its one attempt as the underdog.
Player to Watch
James Blackmon, Jr. - The junior guard is the leading scorer for Indiana. He is averaging 17.3 points along with 5.8 rebounds per contest. Blackmon 48.1 percent from the field and 43.6 percent from the three-point line.
He will have to fight for his open looks in this one but has the talent to score against anyone. Blackmon has struggled in the two recent losses to Louisville and Nebraska, averaging just 11 points in those contests while shooting under 33 percent from the floor.
He will need to pick it up in order for Indiana to get its season back on track.
Key Stat
58.8. That’s how many points per game Wisconsin’s opponents are averaging so far this season. That number ranks the Badgers eighth in the nation right now for points against and is nearly 10 points less than how many points Indiana is holding its opponents to per game (68.3).
Wisconsin held Florida A&M to a season-low 37 points on December 23 and beat Rutgers 72-52 on December 27th. In the team’s latest winning streak, the Badgers held five of the eight teams to below 60 points.
Wisconsin purposely plays a deliberate style and will be patient on the offensive end. Indiana must try to push the tempo as that is where it has the advantage. The Badgers are very successful when playing their game so it will be a matchup to watch in this one.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
The Big Ten features plenty of talented teams and these are two of them. Wisconsin has tested itself against some tough competition this year and fared pretty well. The Badgers won’t be intimidated by the environment, but has to play very well to pull out the win.
Wisconsin is led by Bronson Koenig and Nigel Hayes, who are each averaging 14 points per game.
Indiana needs to get back on track after three losses in its past five outings. The Hoosiers are talented enough to stop the slide. Indiana shoot be able to score enough to win this game and start feeling better as the meat of the conference schedule beckons.
Indiana needs to take care of the ball but will be able to do so in this one.
College Basketball Odds: Indiana 70, Wisconsin 67
BookMaker.eu offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker.eu!
