The Purdue Boilermakers and Wisconsin Badgers meet up today in the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals. The game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on CBS. Currently the College Basketball Betting Odds for the game have Wisconsin favored by almost double digits to pick up the win.

The Big Ten Semifinals ended up all chalk with the top four seeds making it this far. Penn State put a pretty good scare into the fourth-seeded Purdue Boilermakers, but the size of A.J. Hammons and the defense of Rapheal Davis in the second half proved to be impactful. 

Wisconsin also got a bit of a scare in their most recent game, getting pushed by Michigan for 35 minutes until the talent and quality of play for the Badgers took over. Back to back buckets by Frank Kaminsky gave the Badgers a four-point lead before a Sam Dekker triple with 3:42 put the lead at five points, a deficit Michigan could never recover from yesterday.

Despite getting pushed, both teams have to feel it made them better heading into today’s game for the semifinals. Wisconsin is still chasing a No. 1 seed and with both ACC-expected top seeds Virginia and Duke falling yesterday, the Badgers have a shot. That doesn’t bode well for Purdue today. An impressive showing by Bo Ryan’s club in this game gets them back in the discussion for a top seed and poor Purdue is just going to have to deal with it.

Matt Painter’s team somehow found itself on the bubble recently despite finishing with the fourth seed in the Big Ten, but after reaching the semifinals they absolutely should be in the field. No matter what happens to the Boilers in today’s game, expect them to be in the tournament.

Purdue can obviously help themselves with a nice showing and would improve their seeding with an upset, but Wisconsin is not going to be stopped in this Big Ten Tournament. They’re the best team and they will show it in the next two days.

Free Pick: Wisconsin 71, Purdue 56

 NCAA Basketball: Who Can Win it All?

Teddy Covers and Steve Fezzik from Pregame.com discuss who they feel will win it all in the NCAA Tournament, while throwing in some teams that have a chance to make a deep run in the tournament.

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