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No. 6 Purdue travels to Iowa to take on the Hawkeyes in another Big Ten battle! It's time to continue our college basketball odds series with a Purdue-Iowa prediction and pick.
Purdue is once again off to a great start to the season as they are (16-3) and (5-3) in conference play. They are coming off of a 20-point victory over Northwestern after losing to Indiana the game prior. They have a tough opponent Thursday and have a difficult next few games. Iowa is (14-5) on the season and (4-4) in the conference. The Hawkeyes defeated Penn State 68-51 last time out after losing to Rutgers in a low-scoring affair 48-46. This has the makings of a great game between two elite offensive teams.
Here are the Purdue-Iowa college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Purdue-Iowa Odds
Purdue: -2.5 (-114)
Iowa: +2.5 (-106)
Over: 154 (-110)
Under: 154 (-110)
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Why Purdue Could Cover The Spread
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Purdue averages 84.7 points per game and allows just 67.4. Iowa is right behind them at 83 per game so this is going to be an offensive battle from start to finish. Purdue is led by Jaden Ivey who averages 16.7 points per game off of 48.5% shooting. Zach Edey is right behind him at 15.3 per game and also averages 7.7 rebounds per game. He's shooting 70% from the floor and those two guys will need to be factors if they want to cover this spread. Senior forward Trevion Williams is also a problem to deal with as he averages 12.7 points and 8.4 rebounds off of 56% shooting. If those three are all on their game it's going to be hard for the Iowa defense to contain them.
On the defensive side, they face one of the nation's leading scorers in Keegan Murray. He's third in the NCAA in scoring at 22.3 points per game off 57.3% from the floor. He is almost impossible to contain but Purdue can still cover this spread even if he plays well. Purdue is 10-9 against the spread this season.
Why Iowa Could Cover The Spread
Murray will need to be on his game if the Hawkeyes are going to have a chance. Purdue is loaded with talent and Murray is what keeps this team on its heels. The good news is that they are coming off of a strong performance on both sides of the floor. If they can keep that rhythm going then they should have a chance to cover this spread. It's not a very large spread so Iowa will have to keep this a one-possession game if they want to cover. Murray will likely need to score 20+ points in order for this game to be close.
The Hawkeyes are 12-7 against the spread this season so that is a good sign for bettors. Iowa is also 11-1 at home this season whereas Purdue is just 2-2. That gives Iowa a slight advantage but they will need to be on their game as a team.
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Final Purdue-Iowa Prediction & Pick
This should be a close game and an exciting one to watch. I'm taking Purdue to cover this spread but I do believe Iowa will give them fits. It should be a high-scoring game because both sides can score with ease. Take Purdue and the over and hope that Boilermakers pulls away late in a battle.
Final Purdue-Iowa Prediction & Pick: Purdue -2.5 (-114) & over: 154 (-110)
