The Fair Dickinson Knights take on the Purdue Boilermakers. Check out our March Madness odds series for our Fair Dickinson Purdue prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Fair Dickinson Purdue.

The NCAA Tournament featured a lot of special moments on Thursday. It involved other games which didn't quite generate upsets but still stirred audiences across the country. One such game was Houston's less-than-convincing win over Northern Kentucky. The Cougars did win by 11 points, but they led by only five with just over four minutes left. A No. 1 seed entered crunch time in real jeopardy of losing or — at the very least — being taken to the final two minutes with the outcome in doubt. Houston was able to avoid that sweaty-palms scenario, but the game was legitimately competitive for 38 of 40 minutes. With that game firmly in mind, you can be sure that Fairleigh Dickinson will give it all it has. The Knights know that if Northern Kentucky could push a No. 1 seed for most of the game, FDU can push No. 1 seed Purdue as well.

Fairleigh Dickinson just played a fabulous, complete game against Texas Southern in the First Four in Dayton, so the Knights should be full of belief as they prepare for this tussle against the Big Ten champions. Purdue hasn't been a No. 1 seed since 1996. The Boilermakers survived Western Carolina by two points, 73-71, in the first round. They nearly became the first No. 1 seed to lose. Many people regard this year's Purdue team as a weak No. 1 seed. The Boilermakers have heard the doubts. How will they respond?

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Fair Dickinson-Purdue March Madness odds.

March Madness Odds: Fair Dickinson-Purdue Odds

Fairleigh Dickinson Knights: +22.5 (-102)

Purdue Boilermakers: -22.5 (-120)

Over: 145.5 (-110)

Under: 145.5 (-110)

How To Watch Fair Dickinson vs Purdue

TV: TNT

Stream: CBSSports.com, March Madness app, fuboTV

Time: 6:50 p.m. ET, 3:50 p.m. PT

*Watch Fair Dickinson vs Purdue LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*

Why Fairleigh Dickinson Could Cover the Spread

This is a team which is playing freely and boldly in the NCAA Tournament, as shown by the lights-out performance against Texas Southern in the First Four. FDU decided to go for it and not worry about the pressure or the stakes. That is exactly the right attitude to have when embarking on a March journey. If the Knights can continue to play with liberation and joy, they might be able to start the game with a few made 3-pointers. They could slowly work their way into the game. If they can get through the first 10 to 15 minutes tied or close to tied, their confidence will rise and Purdue will have more of a chance to think about the pressure of the moment. That is how high seeds buckle and low seeds gain a chance to pull an NCAA Tournament shocker. It's the formula which is right there for FDU in this game.

Why Purdue Could Cover the Spread

This is a total mismatch inside. Zach Edey, Purdue's elite center, is going to be a man among boys. He will get dunks and layups all game long. No one on Fairleigh Dickinson can do anything about him. FDU will make an attempt to stop him, of course, but the effort from the Knights to contain Edey will be all-consuming to the point that Purdue's other four players will get an endless supply of very open shots. If Purdue is merely decent from the field (not even spectacular, but solid enough that it doesn't miss too many times), it should run away with this game. Fairleigh Dickinson simply won't be able to keep up.

Final Fair Dickinson-Purdue Prediction & Pick

This is a game in which Purdue should absolutely dismantle the No. 16 seed. Take Purdue.

Final Fair Dickinson-Purdue Prediction & Pick: Purdue -22.5