The Purdue Boilermakers take on the Penn State Nittany Lions. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Purdue Penn State prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Purdue Penn State.
The Purdue Boilermakers lost to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at home six days ago. Purdue obliterated Gonzaga and Duke earlier this season, but Gonzaga and Duke very nearly lost on Saturday to Santa Clara and Boston College, respectively. You can plainly see that Gonzaga will not be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament this season, and that Duke probably won't be a top-three seed. They're not bad teams, but they definitely aren't elite teams. Purdue's wins over the Zags and Blue Devils aren't the top-tier conquests many people thought they were at the time when they happened, back in late November in Portland
We also have to mention that Purdue barely beat Nebraska on the road and escaped Ohio State by two points this past week. Purdue looks like a solid team, but nothing close to a No. 1 seed. Penn State needs high-quality wins for the NCAA Tournament, and that's what will make this game in Happy Valley so interesting to watch.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Purdue-Penn State College Basketball odds.
College Basketball Odds: Purdue-Penn State Odds
Purdue Boilermakers: -5.5 (-108)
Penn State Nittany Lions: +5.5 (-112)
Over: 135.5 (-110)
Under: 135.5 (-110)
How To Watch Purdue vs. Penn State
TV: Big Ten Network
Stream: Fox Sports app
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET, 3:00 p.m. PT
*Watch Purdue-Penn State LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why Purdue Could Cover the Spread
This team has wobbled in recent weeks, but you saw the toughness of a Matt Painter-coached team emerge in the road win at Ohio State a few days ago. Purdue was not playing at its best in that game, but it found a way to win against a solid opponent in a hostile environment. That was exactly the kind of win Purdue needed to get its season back on track and, more specifically, restore this team's confidence. Had Purdue lost a second straight nail-biter, the Boilermakers might have begun to doubt themselves in a tough Big Ten game. Now, you should see a confident team on the court, a team which will take charge and get on top of Penn State, not allowing the Nittany Lions to breathe. Purdue has restored its winning identity, and that should carry over into this game.
Why Penn State Could Cover the Spread
The Purdue Boilermakers just aren't separating themselves much from their opponents. Even if you acknowledge that the Boilermakers did well to beat Ohio State, the final margin was just two points. Purdue beat Nebraska on the road by only three. Penn State is a better team than Nebraska, and it isn't that much worse than Ohio State. Big Ten games are slugfests, and they generally are close games. If this is a close game, Penn State will cover. Getting five and a half points seems like a lot of respect to Purdue, even though the Boilermakers are not playing the way they did in November, when they annihilated Gonzaga and Duke.
Penn State also knows this game is really important for its NCAA Tournament chances. The Nittany Lions will be fired up, playing at home. If they give their best effort — and there's a good chance of that happening — they will cover.
Final Purdue-Penn State Prediction & Pick
Stay away from this game, but if you absolutely insist on a pick, lean to Penn State if only because Purdue is regularly playing a lot of close games.
Final Purdue-Penn State Prediction & Pick: Penn State +5.5
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