The Wisconsin Badgers play the Purdue Boilermakers. See our college football odds series for our prediction and pick for Purdue Wisconsin.
The Big Ten West Division championship has never been won by the Purdue Boilermakers. In 2011, the Big Ten switched to a divisional system with a conference final. There have been 11 Big Ten Championship Games in all. None of them have included Purdue.
That might alter this season. However, Purdue will have to go past the Big Ten West champions.
Multiple Big Ten Championship Games have been won by Wisconsin. Six of the first nine Big Ten championship games involved the Badgers. However, this programme has struggled over the last three seasons. The Badgers’ offence has been difficult, and they no longer have the winning formula that served them so well for a very long time. Graham Mertz, the quarterback, has had three seasons to find out how to build a highly effective offence, but he hasn’t succeeded yet. Paul Chryst was fired as coach earlier this year due to the offense’s and his troubles being ongoing. Jim Leonhard, the defensive coordinator who was widely regarded as the front-runner for the permanent head coaching position, was elevated to the position of interim head coach. Wisconsin defeated Northwestern with ease before struggling against Michigan State in a loss. For every step Wisconsin makes forward this season, it also moves backward. In what may be considered an interview for the permanent position, Leonhard has a lot of work to do. He might not be able to keep his job if things don’t work out.
Here are the odds for the Purdue-Wisconsin college football game, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Purdue-Wisconsin Odds
Boilermakers from Purdue: +2.5 (-114)
Badgers of Wisconsin: -2.5 (-106)
Over: 51.5 (-110) (-110)
Under: 51.5 (-110)
Why Purdue Could Cover the Spread
It can restrain Wisconsin’s transgression. Graham Mertz, the quarterback for Wisconsin, simply cannot make a turn. Instead of trying to get a quarterback through the transfer portal and going for a different strategy, the Badgers put a lot of faith and trust in him. The main reason Paul Chryst was fired was his choice to continue working with Mertz, though there were other factors as well. The foundation and pillar of Wisconsin’s offensive line has been the team ever since. The offensive line drives everything the Badgers do. Everything about the Wisconsin offence and the Badgers’ overarching playing philosophy clicks into place when the big uglys are launching the ball and executing their jobs. The pieces come together. Because it’s not occurring, Purdue can win this game by limiting Wisconsin’s offensive.
The defeat by Michigan State (after the humiliation of Northwestern) should serve as an eye-opening and depressing event for everyone who thought Wisconsin was unquestionably on the right track. Anyone choosing the Boilermakers here should not be discouraged by Purdue’s recent lack of success.
Why Wisconsin Could Cover the Spread
Although the Badgers are a picture of inconsistency, they have recently had success playing Purdue. More than that, Purdue didn’t cover the spread last week against Nebraska and didn’t merit a second chance in a crucial game. This counts as a significant game for Purdue. The crucial matchup against Illinois in November may serve as the de facto Big Ten West title game if the Boilermakers defeat the Badgers in Madison. This would give them one extra head-to-head tiebreaker in the division.
The genuinely important games are where Purdue struggles. This team has never won the Big Ten West for a reason. This choice is more anti-Purdue than pro-Wisconsin, but it still pays off the wager.
Final Purdue-Wisconsin Prediction & Pick
Be sceptical of Purdue. It’s that easy.
Purdue-final Wisconsin’s Pick and Prediction: Wisconsin -2.5
Purdue vs. Wisconsin prediction, odds, and selection for college football on October 22, 2022 appeared first on ClutchPoints.
