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The Penn State Nittany Lions are set to face the Purdue Boilermakers. Check out our college basketball odds series, which includes our Penn State Purdue prediction, odds, and pick.
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The Penn State Nittany Lions are the No. 11 seed at this tournament. They beat Minnesota in the first round on Wednesday and then had to play sixth-seeded Ohio State on Thursday in the second round. They trailed by nine points at halftime and appeared to be in big trouble. Their season was 20 minutes away from ending. Instead of losing faith, though, the Nittany Lions fought back and outplayed the Buckeyes down the stretch, knocking Ohio State out of Indianapolis. The Big Ten Tournament odds changed. Penn State is a flawed team without elite offensive weapons, but no one can fault the Nittany Lions for their effort, which has been consistent throughout the Big Ten season. This team beat Tom Izzo and Michigan State. It nearly knocked off Rutgers on the road this past Sunday. Keep these details in mind when making a Penn State Purdue prediction.
Purdue was the preseason Big Ten title favorite and a hot pick to make the Final Four alongside Michigan. Neither Purdue nor Michigan met the early-November hype, but compared to Michigan's significant fall from prominence — the Wolverines are squarely on the bubble heading into Selection Sunday — Purdue was very good. The Boilermakers have not been spectacular — their lack of bench scoring and depth has been a key problem, especially in the backcourt — but their starting five is so good that coach Matt Painter's team will still be a top-three seed in the NCAA Tournament. That is something to note when formulating a Penn State Purdue pick.
College basketball odds analysts aren't going to pick Purdue to make the Final Four, but the Boilermakers have a chance to improve their seeding this weekend. That might improve their Final Four chances. The program hasn't been to the Final Four since 1980, when the Boilermakers lost to UCLA in Indianapolis in the national semifinals. Purdue is a proud basketball school. Everyone wants this drought to end. The Big Ten Tournament is a time for this team to show it can handle postseason stress and write a different story this March.
Purdue can buck the Big Ten Tournament odds.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Penn State-Purdue odds:
Big Ten Tournament Odds: Penn State-Purdue Odds
Penn State: +11 (-110)
Purdue: -11 (-110)
Over: 133.5 (-110)
Under: 133.5 (-110)
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Why Penn State Could Cover the Spread
The Nittany Lions are on a feel-good conference tournament run akin to what 13th-seeded Boston College did in the ACC. You will note that Boston College, when playing a third game in three days, did not fall apart. The Eagles took Miami to overtime and lost by only two. If Penn State fights as well as Boston College did, it will cover the large spread.
Why Purdue Could Cover the Spread
Penn State is not an especially good team. Purdue failed to win the Big Ten championship this season, which means that the Boilermakers will be more motivated than other top Big Ten teams to win this tournament. That should translate into a sharp performance here.
Final Penn State-Purdue Prediction & Pick
Purdue will want to win the Big Ten Tournament to compensate for a less-than-great Big Ten regular season. Expect the Boilermakers to thrive in this game.
Final Penn State-Purdue Pick: Purdue -11
