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ESPN’s FPI predicts outcome of Wisconsin-Purdue B1G opener
By Paul Harvey
Published:
ESPN’s FPI is breaking down all the Week 4 action in college football. Within the B1G, that includes a Friday night league opener between Wisconsin and Purdue.
Entering the weekend, both sides have shown flashes under new head coaches but both have experienced letdowns. The Badgers lost to Washington State in Week 2 while the Boilermakers have a pair of losses to Fresno State and Syracuse.
As for Friday’s matchup of B1G West foes, the FPI is giving the Badgers a significant edge and a 63.1% chance of coming out of West Lafayette with a win. While leaving Ross-Ade Stadium with a primetime victory is no easy matter, Wisconsin is also a -6 favorite on the road. Interested parties can get in on those odds by heading to FanDuel.
The matchup certainly presents some issues for Purdue and a defense that is allowing over 400 yards of offense per game so far. That includes an average of 132.7 rushing yards per game while the Boilermakers have allowed 35+ points in the 2 losses.
As for the Badgers, Luke Fickell’s program is stopping the run and allowing just 93.3 yards per game on the ground. Wisconsin is also running the ball effectively at a clip of 204 yards per game.
The one problem for the Badgers in the 2-1 start has been sluggish starts early in games. If Ryan Walters and Purdue is looking to pull an upset, the Boilermakers will need to take advantage of that trend with some early points or it could be a long night.
Friday’s kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on FS1.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.