The Wisconsin Badgers are kicking off the 2026 season as their Big Ten slate opens up with a home contest against the No. 5 Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday.
The Badgers are coming off back-to-back wins
over Central Michigan and Milwaukee, finishing their non-conference slate with a 9-4 overall record. They lack a Quad 1 win heading into the new year, going 0-4 in those opportunities, which means this upcoming month will be crucial for the team’s NCAA Tournament hopes.
Wisconsin has averaged 83.5 points per game, but allowed 73.2 points a contest so far, including 98 and 90 points in losses to the BYU Cougars and Nebraska Cornhuskers, respectively.
They’ve yet to look like a complete team, and now get quite the challenge to open the new year against a 12-1 Purdue team that dominated its non-conference schedule, beating No. 8 Alabama by seven and blowing out No. 15 Texas Tech and No. 21 Auburn. Their lone loss was a 23-point defeat at home to now-ranked No. 3 Iowa State.
Here’s how you can watch Wisconsin’s matchup against Purdue on Saturday.
Date: Saturday, January 3rd
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Channel: FOX
Spread: Purdue -6.5
Over/Under: 153.5 points
