Ohio State Buckeyes at Purdue Boilermakers Betting Preview
Big Ten powerhouses will battle it out on Sunday as the No. 16 Ohio State Buckeyes (13-4, 6-2 in Big Ten) take on the No. 6 Purdue Boilermakers (17-3, 6-3 in Big Ten). Purdue will host this one at Mackey Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 12:00 ET.
The Buckeyes enter play Sunday, having won three games in a row since dropping a road contest to No. 11 Wisconsin. In their last game, they defeated Minnesota on the road 75-64.
In the win, E.J. Liddell led all scorers with 23 points. He finished with a double-double as he also posted 15 rebounds and five assists. Kyle Young (14), Zed Key (12), and Malaki Branham (11) also finished with double digits.
Purdue was upset on the road by unranked Indiana a little over a week ago, but they have won back-to-back games since, beating Northwestern (80-60) and Iowa (83-73).
In the victory over Iowa, Isaiah Thompson led the team with 18 points, while Trevion Williams had a double-double with 12 points and ten rebounds.
More Odds
The Boilermakers are currently the favorites to win the Big Ten at +280. Ohio State has the fourth-best odds of winning the conference at +750.
In terms of the National Championship, Purdue has the fourth-best odds to win it at +1100. The Buckeyes are +5000 to win it all.
As for Sunday’s game, Purdue is a 9.5-point favorite.
By The Numbers
Purdue has one of the best offenses in all of college basketball. They rank fourth in scoring, averaging 84.7 points per game (88.6 at home). The Buckeyes rank 58th as they are averaging 75.1 points (71.1 on the road).
Defensively, Ohio State has the slight edge. They rank 116th in scoring defense, allowing opponents an average of 67.2 points per game (71.3 on the road). The Boilermakers rank 125th, allowing 67.7 points per game (64.5 at home).
Buckeyes Lean On Liddell To Take Down Purdue
For Chris Holtmann’s Buckeyes team to take down Purdue on Sunday, he is going to need a big game from star forward E.J. Liddell. This season, he is averaging 19.6 points on 52.1% shooting. He is also posting 7.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.7 blocks per game.
It will also be imperative for Liddell to get support. The only other Buckeye averaging double digits is freshman guard Malaki Branham, who is averaging 10.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
The Buckeyes have also struggled on the road this season. While they are a perfect 9-0 when playing at home, they are just 3-3 on the road.
Purdue Looks To Home Court For Advantage Over Buckeyes
At 17-3, the Purdue Boilermakers have been exceptional all season, but they have been especially tough at home. When playing at Mackey Arena, the team is 10-1, with their lone loss being to No. 11 Wisconsin.
One area that Purdue should have the advantage is on the boards. With plenty of size in the interior, the Boilermakers rank second in the nation in total rebounding rate (58.6%). If they can control the boards and limit second-chance opportunities, they should be in good shape.
Leading the offense for Purdue is sophomore guard Jaden Ivey. After missing the game against Northwestern with an injured hip flexor, he returned to put up 15 points against Iowa in their road victory.
On the season, Ivey is averaging 16.6 points, five rebounds, three assists, and 1.2 steals per game.
Other contributors for Purdue include Zach Edey (14.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.2 blocks), Trevion Williams (12.7 points, 8.5 rebounds), and Sasha Stefanovic (12.2 points, 3.6 assists).
Take Purdue To Win At Home
When E.J. Liddell is on the floor, you can never rule out the Buckeyes from upsetting any opponent. Still, there is just a lot to like with Purdue in this one.
Not only are they playing well at home, but their size will make for a tough matchup for the Buckeyes on both ends of the floor.
Take Purdue to win at home Sunday afternoon.
