The Wisconsin Badgers take on the Purdue Boilermakers in West Lafayette, IN. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. ET on CBS.
Purdue is favored by 8.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -325. The total is set at 155.5 points.
Here’s my Wisconsin vs. Purdue predictions and college basketball picks for March 7, 2026.
Wisconsin vs Purdue Prediction
My Pick: Wisconsin +8.5 (Play to +7.5)
My Wisconsin vs Purdue best bet is on the Badgers to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Wisconsin vs. Purdue Odds
| Wisconsin Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8.5 -110 | 155.5 -112o / -108u | +260 |
| Purdue Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8.5 -110 | 155.5 -112o / -108u | -325 |
- Wisconsin vs Purdue spread: Purdue -8.5
- Wisconsin vs Purdue over/under: 155.5 points
- Wisconsin vs Purdue moneyline: Wisconsin +260, Purdue -325
Wisconsin vs Purdue College Basketball Betting Preview
Wisconsin Basketball
A win against the Boilermakers will go a long way towards Wisconsin's NCAA Tournament seeding.
Wisconsin also has a bona fide star in Nick Boyd. He averages 20 points per game and is a player who can have a big impact in the March Madness bracket. The Badgers also have John Blackwell and Nolan Winter, who add 18+ points a night.
Their issue has been depth.
Outside of those top three scorers, they've failed to find any key contributors, and the main reason Purdue was able to handle them efficiently earlier this season is that the Boilers are built to handle a team with strong guard play.
Purdue Basketball
This Purdue team is typical of what we’ve seen over the last few seasons with the Boilermakers. Outside of their run to the championship in 2024, they've largely disappointed in big moments.
A solid 23-7 record looks better than it is. The problem is, those losses tell us a very bleak picture: They've all been teams ranked in the top 41 by KenPom, meaning Purdue struggles against great teams.
Additionally, the Boilers have just eight of their 23 wins against teams in that same category, and none against an opponent in the top 10.
Against teams in the top 10, they've lost four times.
Purdue's offense has been largely efficient, ranking second in the nation. Senior guard Braden Smith has been instrumental to the offensive metrics, averaging 14 points and 12 assists per game.
Often overlooked, he rarely gets himself in foul trouble, playing at least 35 minutes per game in all but eight contests.
Purdue will also have a ton of confidence heading into this matchup, having beaten Wisconsin by 16 points in their previous meeting. This Big Ten matchup pits two teams with a ton of experience against each other, with both ranking in the top 30 in terms of D-I experience.
Wisconsin vs. Purdue Betting Analysis
The spread here is 8.5, which is sort of a tough number to read. Remember, this very Purdue team won by 16, and now it gets home court.
But right now, this might be the worst version of Purdue we’ve seen all season long. It's lost three of its last five games and has gone just .500 over its last 12 games. That's a big fall considering it was 17-1 at one point in the season.
Purdue is in bad form, while Wisconsin is 12-4 over its last 16 games. The Badgers have three really strong scoring options.
I think people are underestimating the Badgers.
My Pick: Wisconsin +8.5 (Play to +7.5)
