The Purdue Boilermakers take on the Indiana Hoosiers. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Purdue Indiana prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Purdue Indiana.
The Purdue Boilermakers are in line to be not just a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but the No. 1 overall seed. Houston has wobbled. Alabama got blown out by Oklahoma one week ago, losing by 24 points to the unranked Sooners. Tennessee just lost to Florida. One by one, the contenders for that No. 1 overall seed keep struggling, all while Purdue just racks up the victories. Purdue has lost only once this season, to Rutgers on January 2. The Boilermakers have had some choppy games, but they have battled through nearly all of them with their defense, clutch shooting, enough perimeter balance in their lineup, and the centerpiece of their whole operation, big man Zach Edey, who is a leading contender for the 2023 National Player of the Year. Edey is simply very tall and very skilled. It's not enough to simply be tall and possess height; Edey knows how to use his height. Chiefly, he finishes plays near the basket and is consistent in playing over the top of his defenders. When he gets swarmed, he reliably makes an accurate and timely kickout pass to a shooter who knocks down the shot often enough for Purdue's offense to click. It's a simple but lethal formula, and the Big Ten really hasn't had answers for it.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Purdue-Indiana College Basketball odds.
College Basketball Odds: Purdue-Indiana Odds
Purdue Boilermakers: +0.5 (-114)
Indiana Hoosiers: -0.5 (-106)
Over: 139.5 (-105)
Under: 139.5 (-115)
How To Watch Purdue vs. Indiana
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET, 1:00 p.m. PT
*Watch Purdue-Indiana LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why Purdue Could Cover the Spread
This team has been great. Zach Edey comes up with big baskets and clutch plays in crunch-time situations. Role players such as Mason Gillis and Fletcher Loyer are doing their jobs well. Gillis hit nine 3-pointers in the win over Penn State earlier this week. Loyer is the front-runner for 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, doing a superb job holding down the fort in the backcourt and being a steady floor leader for coach Matt Painter. This team might not always play artful basketball, but it knows what its identity is. It plays through Edey all the time, as it should. Players stick to the plan and execute it well. The effort is always there even if shots aren't falling.
What should also help Purdue here is that in most games, Indiana big man Trayce Jackson-Davis is the best player on the floor, also a player who can play over the top of his man. Not here. Not against Zach Edey. Purdue can use Edey to cancel out TJD. Minimizing Indiana's best player will enable Purdue — which has the better supporting cast — to win on the road in what is essentially a pick 'em game.
Why Indiana Could Cover the Spread
The Purdue Boilermakers are a really good team, but they nevertheless have one formula, one way of winning: Go through Zach Edey. If Purdue thinks it can cancel out Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana certainly thinks that TJD can neutralize Edey as well. Keep in mind that in basketball, it is often true that role players play better at home than on the road. That can work to Indiana's advantage in this game. All it takes is for Purdue's wings and guards to have one bad day shooting the ball. Indiana can pounce on this opportunity for a season-changing win.
This game is a rivalry game. The Hoosiers will be energized when playing at home. If the Purdue Boilermakers are going to lose a road game this season (they haven't done so yet), this is a very natural and logical spot for them to falter.
Final Purdue-Indiana Prediction & Pick
Stay away from this game, but if you absolutely insist on a pick, lean to Indiana playing at home and having Trayce Jackson-Davis to go against Zach Edey.
Final Purdue-Indiana Prediction & Pick: Indiana -0.5
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