College Football Odds: Purdue at Wisconsin

Written October 29, 2009 by Hector Garza

Purdue (3-5) hits the road this week as they travel to Camp Randall Stadium in Madison to take on the Badgers (5-2). The game is set for noon this Saturday ET, and the overall series favors Wisconsin at 40-29-8. This Big Ten showdown will feature the Boilermakers who are riding a two game winning streak, pulling off the 26-18 upset against Ohio State two weeks ago and beating Illinois last week 24-14. Wisconsin, on the other hand, is coming off of two straight losses to Iowa and Ohio State. The Badgers are favored by 6 ½ with the total set for 54 ½ according to our latest college football lines.

Wisconsin heads into this game with a three game winning streak against Purdue, and they feature a balanced offensive attack. On the ground they’re gaining 184.4 ypg, with their feature RB John Clay leading the way for 716 yards and 7 td’s. QB Scott Tolzien has completed 63.6% of his passes for over 205 ypg with 9 td’s and 8 ints. Two weeks ago against Iowa the offense sputtered for 230 total yards when the running game was shut down for 87 yards and Tolzien was forced into 3 ints. Get a 10% Bonus when you open an account at Bodog that you can use to bet on college football.

The stop unit for Wisconsin has done their part in helping the team along to 5 wins. They’re best against the run, allowing only 114.6 ypg to opponents. The pass defense has been more susceptible, allowing for 211.4 ypg and 11 of the 17 td’s. Turnovers haven’t been a problem, as the Badgers have combined for 9 ints and 8 fumble recoveries. Look for the Boilermakers to have a tough time gaining yardage on the ground.

Purdue has had their success on offense, despite their 5 losses this year. They’re averaging 27.6 ppg with a steady dose of run and pass. QB Joey Elliott has shown he’s a threat to run the ball with 3 td’s, but has done more with his arm. He’s averaged over 250 ypg for 14 td’s and 10 ints, and is looking to take advantage of Wisconsin’s secondary. Not to be overlooked is the rushing game led by RB Ralph Bolden and his 90 ypg and 5 td’s, but they may have slow going against a stout run defense.

The worst unit on the field this week will be the defense of Purdue. They’ve been unable to slow down opponents, allowing 26.9 ppg. Their biggest problem this year has been stopping the run, and the Badgers will no doubt be looking to take advantage. 18 of the 24 td’s have come on the ground where opponents are averaging 156.2 ypg. While they still give up over 200 ypg against the pass, putting a halt to the ground game has to be the biggest priority.

Purdue has already pulled off the upset against Ohio State, and can possibly do the same to Wisconsin. The Boilermakers also have the big play ability on defense, as evidenced by their 17 takeaways and 21 sacks. However, the Badgers have the home field advantage and a strong ground game, which could be the difference this Saturday.

Get the top college football picks in the business this season with the handicappers at Betfirms. There’s simply no better place to find expert football picks.