Take Indiana in the College Hoops Odds Thursday Night

The College Hoops Betting Odds are out, and one of the sport’s best teams in back in action Thursday. That’s when the No. 10 ranked Wisconsin Badgers travel to Bloomington, IN to take on the Hoosiers.

No. 10 Wisconsin Badgers (22-6 SU, 14-10 ATS) at Indiana Hoosiers (12-17 SU, 10-13 ATS)

Thursday, March 3: 9:00 p.m. ESPN

Betting Odds:

Wisconsin: -6

Indiana: +6

For those who are regular followers of the College Hoops Odds, you know that Wisconsin is one of the best teams in the country, in large part because of their inside-outside combo of Jon Leuer and Jordan Taylor. Leuer is a beast in the post, averaging 19 points and 7.5 boards per game, while Taylor is a terror on the perimeter at over 17 points and five dimes per.

In Wisconsin’s most recent win, these two once again shined, as the Badgers overmatched Northwestern 78-63 at home. Leuer had a game-high 26 points, while Taylor chipped in 10 points and seven assists to lead Wisconsin to their 22nd victory of the year. It also improved their home record to 16-0 on the season.

Still, the Badgers won’t be playing in Madison on Thursday night, but instead, in hostile Assembly Hall at Indiana. While the Hoosiers haven’t been spectacular at home this year, they have registered upsets over Illinois and Minnesota amongst others.

And if the Hoosiers are again to pull out a win in the College Hoops Odds, it’ll be because of forward Christian Watford. The sophomore has emerged as one of the scariest players in the Big Ten for opposing defenses, averaging over 16 points per game and has scored in double figures in each of the last 10 games he’s played. He’s helped on the perimeter by Verdell Jones, and his 12 points per game. Considering their record, the Hoosiers are a surprisingly efficient offensive team, ranking 46th in college basketball in field goal percentage, at over 46 percent as a team.

Ultimately though, what this College Hoops Odds matchup comes down to is this: Wisconsin simply isn’t that good on the road. It’s the dirty little secret about the Badgers, but one that absolutely, positively must be addressed. While they’re 16-0 at the Kohl Center this year, they’re just 6-6 away from it, and only 4-5 in true road games. More importantly, they’ve been a disaster for bettors, going just 4-5 against the spread in road games.

In the end, the Badgers simply have too much talent to lose this game straight up, and we’d be stunned if Leuer and Taylor didn’t carry them to victory.

But when it comes to covering the points, at home we like Indiana. This is a group that is improving game to game, and should do enough to easily cover the College Hoops Odds.

College Hoops Odds Pick: Indiana +6