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Conference plays continue tonight with just one game as Washington heads east to Bloomington to face the Hoosiers.
Washington Huskies at Indiana Hoosiers
Time/TV: 8:00 PM ET BTN
Line: Indiana -7.5
Indiana will try to win their third game in a row tonight against Washington. The Hoosiers opened the season with seven straight wins before an upset loss at Minnesota, followed by losses to Louisville and Kentucky. They did pick up a win against Penn State, putting them at 1-1 in league play heading into the season. While Indiana got off to a hot start it’s worth mentioning that they’ve yet to truly land a marquee win under new head coach Darian DeVries, with their best win coming against 9-5 Kansas State.
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Washington hasn’t made the jump many fans were hoping for in Danny Sprinkle’s second season with the team. While the Huskies did split their opening week in the Big Ten, with a win over ranked USC, Washington is only 9-4 and there loss two weeks ago to Seattle was not a positive sign. They desperately need a win here with a road game against Purdue on Wednesday followed by a four game stretch that includes three top 15 ranked teams in Michigan, Michigan State and Nebraska.
Indiana hasn’t always been consistent, but the offensive production has been solid and they’ve fared better shooting outside than in years past. With four players averaging double figures, led by Lamar Wilkerson’s 19 points per game, Indiana’s offense is more than capable of scoring the ball. That should prove an advantage over a defensive focused Huskies program that is ranked 75th offensively per KenPom. Washington is shooting worse from the field (45.3%), three (32.2%) and commits more turnovers than Indiana.
Injuries are also an issue tonight, with second leading Husky scorer Wesley Yates III out with a wrist injury suffered against Seattle. The guard was averaging 14.9 points per game and was a key contributor on the offensive side of the ball. Desmond Claude and Zoom Diallo are also averaging just north of 14 points per game and will be relied on more heavily down the stretch. Forward Hannes Steinbach has been key with 18.1 points and 12 rebounds per game. If Indiana can slow down the Huskies inside that will go a long way, especially with Washington’s guard not being the best perimeter shooters.
Home court advantage is also going to be a big factor for a couple of reasons. Besides the fact that it’s hard to win on the road in the Big Ten and the difficulty of going into Assembly Hall, the Huskies face a notable disadvantage when it comes to the traveling required for whenever they hit the road. Last season Washington went 2-8 on the road in league play, with two wins against Minnesota and Penn State by a combined five points.
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Both of these teams could use a win to get 2026 off to a strong start, especially with some of the looming questions heading into conference play. With tonight’s game being played in Bloomington and Indiana being more efficient on the offensive side of the ball the Hoosiers should be able to get their second Big Ten win of the season.
Pick: Indiana
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