It is Big Ten basketball from Madison on Saturday as the Purdue Boilermakers hit the road to face the Wisconsin Badgers. Purdue enters the game ranked fifth in the latest Associated Press Top 25 and owns a 12-1 record on the season. Wisconsin comes in at 9-4, looking for a signature win to open the 2026 portion of its schedule.
Purdue is coming off a dominant 41-point win at home over Kent State, marking its fourth straight victory. All four wins came after a blowout home loss to Iowa State. The Boilermakers are one of five Big Ten teams that remain unbeaten in conference play.
After this road game, Purdue will return to West Lafayette for three straight home contests. Matt Painter’s team will host Washington, Penn State, and Iowa in that stretch.
Wisconsin enters the matchup with momentum of its own. Greg Gard’s Badgers have won back-to-back games, defeating Central Michigan and Milwaukee to close out 2025. Those wins followed road losses at Nebraska and Villanova. Wisconsin’s other two losses this season came against BYU and TCU.
The Badgers will remain at home following this game and host UCLA on Tuesday.
Purdue vs. Wisconsin: When and Where
Date: Saturday, January 3, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM CT
Location: Kohl Center, Madison, WI
Purdue vs. Wisconsin: Where to Watch or Stream
TV: FOX
Streaming: FuboTV
Purdue vs. Wisconsin Betting Odds
Spread: Purdue Boilermakers -8.5, Wisconsin Badgers +8.5
Moneyline: Purdue Boilermakers -450, Wisconsin Badgers +320
Total: 152.5
Purdue vs. Wisconsin Series History
All-Time Series: Purdue leads Wisconsin 86-44
Last Meeting: Wisconsin defeated Purdue 94-84 on February 15, 2025
Projected Starting Lineups
Purdue Boilermakers
- #2 Fletcher Loyer: 14.0 PPG
- #4 Trey Kaufman-Renn: 14.0 PPG, 10.2 RPG
- #3 Braden Smith: 12.5 PPG
- #45 Oscar Cluff: 11.4 PPG, 8.6 RPG
- #0 C.J. Cox: 7.6 PPG
Key Contributor
- Daniel Jacobsen (#12) is averaging 8.8 PPG
Wisconsin Badgers
- #2 Nick Boyd: 19.2 PPG
- #25 John Blackwell: 18.2 PPG
- #31 Nolan Winter: 14.1 PPG, 9.2 RPG
- #7 Andrew Rohde: 7.0 PPG
- #22 Austin Rapp: 9.4 PPG
Game Outlook
Big Ten basketball is tough and physical, and these two teams will make sure it stays that way when they meet in Madison. Wisconsin has had some uneven moments this season, but there is no doubt Greg Gard will have his team ready for Purdue.
The question is whether the Boilermakers can go on the road and avoid an upset. Early in the Big Ten season, a road win, especially at the Kohl Center, can be massive moving forward. Upset alert is on, and this matchup should feature some of the best guard play in the conference.