On Sunday afternoon, a Big Ten matchup takes place between the Northwestern Wildcats (11-3) and the Indiana Hoosiers (10-4).
On Wednesday, the Wildcats defeated Illinois at home.
Iowa defeated the Hoosiers on the road on Thursday. Last season, the Wildcats defeated the Hoosiers 59-51 in their only encounter.
Indiana vs Northwestern Betting Odds
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Indiana vs Northwestern Match Details
Fixture: NWU Wildcats at IU Hoosiers
Date and Time: Sunday, January 8 at 12:00 PM ET
Venue: Bloomington Assembly Hall, Bloomington, IN
Indiana vs Northwestern Key Stats
The Wildcats want to increase their Big Ten record to 3-1. They defeated Michigan State on the road to win the league opener, fell to Ohio State 73-57, and defeated Illinois at home 73-60 on Wednesday despite being listed as 3.5-point underdogs. They have won six of their past seven games, demonstrating their momentum.
The Wildcats are 2-0 on the road, including an early-season victory over Georgetown, and are rated 59th in the nation. They are 294th in the nation with a season scoring average of 67.7 points. They rely on defense to win games, and they are doing a great job of it, holding their opponents to 57.2 points, which ranks eighth in defensive efficiency.
After suffering a tight loss, the No. 15 Hoosiers are looking to bounce back. They lost the Big Ten opener on the road against a quality Rutgers team, but bounced back by upsetting Nebraska. On Thursday night, they were pegged as one-point underdogs in a 91-89 road loss to Iowa. Recently, the Hoosiers have lacked consistency. In five straight games, they failed to cover the spread.
The Hoosiers have an 8-0 record at home and are currently ranked 19th in the DI rankings. They have scored more than 80 points in two of their previous three games, and their season scoring average of 80.7 points puts them in 33rd place. They rank 130th in scoring defense with a 67.1-point average against.
Indiana vs Northwestern Betting Prediction
Against the Wildcats' 101.7 points per 100 possessions, the Hoosiers are awe-inspiring with 112 points per 100 possessions. This large discrepancy makes the Hoosiers' advantage in the spread more than justifiable.
The Hoosiers have a strong defense as well, giving up 65 points or less in two of their three Big Ten contests. The Wildcats' offensive weakness, with their season shooting percentage of a dismal 38% puts them in a difficult situation in this game.
Pick: Indiana Hoosiers -6.5 (-105)
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