If you’ve paid any attention to the media, you would think that the Wisconsin Badgers have already wrapped up the Big Ten West. The Badgers are the only undefeated team left in the division, and traditional contenders Nebraska and Iowa don’t look good through the first half of the season. However, there is one other team that is being overlooked, the Purdue Boilermakers. Purdue looks reinvigorated under new head coach Jeff Brohm and can put itself in the driver’s seat in the Big Ten with a win over Wisconsin on Saturday. Winning in Madison would be a tall task, but this team might just be game for it.
Kickoff for this regular season Week 7 game is set for Saturday, October 14, 2017, at 3:30 p.m.
ET at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. This game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.
College Football Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
Purdue +18
Wisconsin -18
Over/Under Check Back Later
Odds Analysis
The Boilermakers are one of the better teams in the country when it comes to covering spreads. Purdue is 3-2 SU and 4-1 ATS, and handily covered in all four of their ATS wins. Its lone loss versus the number was against a Michigan team that it was beating at halftime, but the Boilermakers failed to cover after being held scoreless in the second half. Last week, Purdue endured a rough start and then finished strong to knock off PJ Fleck’s Golden Gophers.
Paul Chryst is off to another hot start in his third season in Madison. The Badgers are 5-0 and ranked No. 7 in the country after a thorough beatdown of Nebraska last week. Wisky is 3-2 ATS because it has been favored by double digits in every week, but has won every game by multiple scores.
Key Injury
David Blough suffered an AC sprain in his shoulder against Michigan a few weeks ago and the Boilermakers starting quarterback did not fare well in his first game back from injury against Minnesota on Saturday. Despite a bye week and optimism that he was healthy enough to succeed, he really struggled. Blough was pulled after throwing interceptions on two of Purdue’s first three drives and Brohm inserted Elijah Sindelar into the lineup.
Sindelar played very well in the comeback win for the Boilermakers. He completed 19 of 26 passes for 248 yards and a score and helped steady the offense after it committed a turnover on its next possession as well. Sindelar led the team down the field for the game-winning touchdown in the final minutes, and might just have won himself the starting job.
Brohm has not indicated who will get the start against the Badgers, but it’s nice to know he has two competent quarterbacks.
Matchup to Watch
Everyone knows that Wisconsin is going to run, run, and run some more on offense. The Badgers have the 16th best rushing offense in college football, and are averaging 5.5 yards per carry on the season. However, they have not played a very good run defense so far this year. The best unit this team has faced was Northwestern, which has the 50th best run defense in the country.
Purdue’s defense is middle of the pack, but did a good job containing Minnesota last week. The Boilermakers stacked the line of scrimmage, and didn’t allow the Golden Gophers running backs to have a ton of success.
Free ATS Pick
This is a trickier game than people might think for the Badgers. Purdue is a legitimately decent team and not the pushover that it has been over the past decade or so. Wisconsin has not been as dominant as people believe either, just check the stat sheet in its wins over Northwestern and Nebraska. If the Badgers aren’t careful, they might actually get upset here.
College Football Odds: Wisconsin 31, Purdue 27
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