The finale of the regular season has finally come and things are far from determined in the Big Ten standings. While it may be a rematch of an earlier matchup, both Wisconsin and Purdue are fully focused on Saturday’s action. These two teams are tied at 13-6 in the Big Ten standings and the winner of this game still has a chance at finishing Top 4 in the league and earning that sweet triple-bye.
The story of this season for Wisconsin (21-9) has been a bizarre adventure. The Badgers have blown very winnable games over teams like Oregon and USC and also really fallen out of others. On the other hand, Greg Gard’s team has an insane list of notable wins, upending Michigan on the road, Illinois on the road, and topping Michigan State by 21 points last month. Which version of the Badgers shows up in West Lafayette?
In recent weeks, Purdue (23-7) just isn’t playing their best version of basketball. The Boilermakers barely edged Northwestern earlier this week and before that had lost three of their last four contests. They did beat this Wisconsin team on the road by double-digits but that was over two months ago and when Purdue was really rolling defensively. Will things be different this time around?
Wisconsin vs. Purdue: When and Where
Date:Â Saturday, March 7, 2026, 4:00 pm ET
Location:Â Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana
Wisconsin vs. Purdue: Where to Watch or Stream
Watch:Â CBS
Streaming: FuboTV
Wisconsin vs. Purdue: Betting Odds
Spread: Purdue -6.5, Wisconsin +6.5
Moneyline:Â Purdue -295, Wisconsin +300
Total: 157.5
Wisconsin vs. Purdue: Series History
All-time series:Â Purdue leads 116-75
Last meeting:Â Purdue 89, Wisconsin 73 (January 3, 2026)
Projected Starting Lineups
Wisconsin Badgers
Nick Boyd (20.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.9 apg)
John Blackwell (18.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
Nolan Winter (13.3 ppg, 8.6 rpg)
Andrew Rohde (6.0 ppg, 2.9 apg)
Aleksas Bieliauskas (4.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
Purdue Boilermakers
Braden Smith (14.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 8.7 apg)
Fletcher Loyer (13.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg)
Trey Kaufman-Renn (13.3 ppg, 8.9 rpg)
Oscar Cluff (9.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg)
C. J. Cox (8.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg)
It’s not just been a recent trend; Purdue boasts one of the nation’s most efficient offenses but a defense that’s lackluster and just bad at times. If Wisconsin can get open shots and take advantage, then they can absolutely add another notable road win to their resume. The Badgers made just 16% of their 3-pointers in the first matchup, if they can reverse that trend then this could be quite the game. In the final home game of a fantastic career, Smith has a chance to put on one last show in front of this crowd and you can guarantee he’s not going to just let Wisconsin come to town and have their way on offense.
Does Wisconsin take a step forward and have a better offensive performance in this rematch? Can Purdue claw their way back into one of those top spots in the Big Ten and hold firm in their final home contest?