Surprising Opening Line: Struggling Hoosiers Still Favored Against Wisconsin

Somewhat surprisingly, the struggling Indiana Hoosiers are a decent-sized favorite against Wisconsin on Saturday. Indiana has lost five straight games to Power 5 teams and are just 1-10 against the Badgers in the past seven years. Here's the opening point spread, and a great history on what both teams have done against the number this season.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Wisconsin has been a royal pain to Indiana lately, winning 10 of the last 11 meetings over the past seven years. And despite the fact that Indiana has been struggling of late, losing five straight games to Power 5 opponents, the Hoosiers are actually a decent-sized favorite when the two teams get together

The Hoosiers' odds of winning are good according to Fanduel. Indiana is a 4.5-point favorite over Wisconsin on Saturday afternoon at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The over-under is 133.5.

Both teams have struggled of late. Indiana has failed to cover in seven straight games, and Wisconsin has been short versus the number in five straight games, dating back to Dec. 11. It's been more than a month since either team has covered the spread.

The game is at 1 p.m. ET, and is nationally televised on CBS. Here are all the details on the broadcast, plus coaching bios and three keys to the game. CLICK HERE

Here is a through breakdown on what Indiana has done all season, both straight up and against the spread.

Indiana by the numbers

• Indiana overall record: 10-6
• Indiana overall vs. spread: 7-9
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• Indiana home record: 8-1
• Indiana home vs. spread: 5-4
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• Indiana road record: 1-4
• Indiana road vs spread: 1-4
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• Indiana neutral court record: 1-1
• Indiana neutral court vs. spread: 1-1
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• Indiana record as favorite: 10-2
• Indiana vs. spread as favorite: 7-5
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• Indiana record as underdog: 0-3
• Indiana vs. spread as underdog: 0-3

Indiana vs. the spread

Here's what Indiana has done this season, straight up and against the spread with the odds courtesy of FanDuel:

• Nov. 7 — Beat Morehead State 88-53 as a 24.5-point favorite (won)
• Nov. 10 — Beat Bethune-Cookman 101-49 as a 32.5-point favorite (won)
• Nov. 18 — Won at Xavier 81-79 as a 1.5-point favorite (won)
• Nov. 20 — Beat Miami of Ohio 86-56 as a 27.5-point favorite in Indianapolis (won)
• Nov. 23 — Beat Little Rock 86-67 as a 29..5-point favorite (lost)
• Nov. 25 — Beat Jackson State 90-51 as a 28.5-point favorite (won)
• Nov. 30 — Beat No. 18 North Carolina 77-65 as a 4.5-point favorite (won)
• Dec. 3 — Lost at Rutgers 63-48 as a 3-point favorite (lost)
• Dec. 7 — Beat Nebraska 81-55 as a 12.5-point favorite (won)
• Dec. 10 — Lost to No. 10 Arizona 89-75 in Las Vegas as a 1.5-point underdog (lost)
• Dec. 17 — Lost at No. 8 Kansas 84-62 as a 5.5-point underdog (lost)
• Dec. 20 — Beat Elon 96-72 as a 28.5-point favorite (lost)
• Dec. 23 — Beat Kennesaw State 69-55 as a 17.5-point favorite (lost)
• Jan. 5 — Lost at Iowa 91-89 as a 1.5-point underdog (lost)
• Jan. 8 — Lost to Northwestern 84-83 as a 7.5-point favorite (lost)
• Jan. 11 — Lost at Penn State 85-66 as a 2.5-point underdog (lost)

Wisconsin vs. the spread

No. 18-ranked Wisconsin is 11-4 on the season and 3-2 in the Big Ten, but the Badgers have lost two straight games.  They are 7-8 against the spread this season, and have failed to cover in five straight games, dating back to Dec. 11.

In true road games, they are 2-1 straight up, and against the spread. Both wins came in overtime, though. Here's what Wisconsin has done this season, straight up and against the number:

• Nov. 7 — Beat South Dakota 85-59 as a 12.5-point favorite (won)
• Nov. 11—Beat Stanford 60-50 in Milwaukee as an 4.5-point favorite (won)
• Nov. 15— Beat Green Bay 56-45 as a 26.5-point favorite (lost)
• Nov. 23 — Beat Dayton 43-42 in the Bahamas as a 3.5-point underdog (won)
• Nov. 24 — Lost to No. 3 Kansas 65-63 in overtime in the Bahamas as a 7.5-point underdog (won)
• Nov. 25 — Beat USC 65-59 in the Bahamas as a 1.5-point favorite (won)
• Nov. 29 — Lost to Wake Forest 78-75 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge as 5.5-point underdog (lost)
• Dec. 3 —Won at Marquette 80-77 in overtime as a 5.5-point underdog (lost)
• Dec. 6 — Beat No. 13 Maryland 64-59 as a 2.5-point favorite (won)
• Dec. 11 – Won at Iowa 78-75 in overtime as an 3.5-point underdog (won)
• Dec. 15 — Beat Lehigh 78-56 as an 22.5-point favorite (lost)
• Dec. 23 — Vs. Grambling, cancelled weather
• Dec. 30 — Beat Western Michigan 76-66 as a 20.5-point favorite (lost)
• Jan. 3 – Beat Minnesota 63-60 as a 12.5-point favorite (lost)
• Jan. 7 — Lost at Illinois 79-69 as an 6.5-point underdog (lost)
• Jan. 10 — Lost to Michigan State 69-65 as a 1.5-point underdog (lost)

Related stories on Indiana basketball 

• INDIANA'S DEFENSIVE COLLAPSE: Penn State tied a school record with 18 3-pointers in its 85-66 win over Indiana on Wednesday. Here's a breakdown of each play, including analysis of Indiana's defensive mishaps. CLICK HERE
• TOM BREW COLUMN: Indiana was 7-0 and No. 10 in the country as we rolled into December, but they are a mess now as they spiral down to the Big Ten cellar. There's one statistic that clearly shows the difference in these two teams, what Indiana was, and what it is now. CLICK HERE
• GAME STORY: Indiana allowed Penn State to make a school-record 18 three-pointers and it all added up to an ugly 85-66 loss in State College. It was the largest margin of victory ever for Penn State in the 56-game series. CLICK HERE