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The Purdue Boilermakers have played some dominant basketball this season, and are expected to continue on that path next time out when they host the Michigan Wolverines. Even though Michigan is well over .500 in Big Ten play and nationally ranked, Purdue has been such a great team this season that it would be a big upset if the Wolverines pulled out the win.
The Boilermakers are undefeated in conference play, but so is Ohio State, so every win is critical down the stretch. Purdue is zeroing in on a No. 1 seed in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament and can boost its stock with another win in this matchup.
The Wolverines are the underdogs but if they can keep it close they will be able to cover the spread, as it should be quite sizable.
This war on the floor will go down Thursday, January 25, 2018, at 7 p.m. ET at the Mackey Arena. This game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Thursday schedule.
Odds Analysis
Michigan is 17-5 straight up and 12-8-1 against the spread. The Wolverines have played seven road games and have covered in four of them thus far. Michigan has gone 3-2 against the spread as the underdog in 2017-18.
Purdue is a gaudy 19-2 straight up and 15-6 against the spread. The Boilermakers have covered in nine of 12 home contests and hope to keep up that theme. Purdue is 14-6 against the spread as the favorite this year.
Key Stat
15. That’s how many games in a row Purdue has won coming into this matchup. The Boilermakers got their most recent win on the road against Iowa on Saturday, winning 87-64 and moving to a perfect 8-0 in the Big Ten on the season.
Purdue suffered back-to-back losses to Tennessee and Western Kentucky in late November — the team’s only two losses of the season — but the team has hit its stride since then. The winning streak began with two big matchups against ranked opponents in Arizona and Louisville.
Purdue beat the Wildcats in convincing fashion, winning 89-64 on November 24th and also captured
A 66-57 victory over the Cardinals on November 28th. The Boilermakers face their third ranked opponent of the season as they take on Michigan on Thursday.
Last Meeting
Purdue came close to losing its current winning streak the first time it faced Michigan on January 9th. The Wolverines hung tight with the Boilermakers all game long as Purdue escaped with the win on a free throw in the final seconds to win 70-69.
Purdue led by seven points at halftime, but couldn’t shake Michigan in the second half. The Wolverines took their first lead of the game with just under five minutes left and looked like they might pull off the upset, until Isaac Haas’ clutch free throw.
Carsen Edwards had a team-high 19 points for Purdue in the victory and Haas finished with 17. Zavier Simpson and Charles Matthews combined for 29 points for Michigan.
Free NCAA Men’s Basketball ATS Picks
While the first matchup was a close shave, Purdue should have less issue in this one. While it doesn’t have the same pedigree as teams like Villanova and Duke, Purdue definitely has the talent to make a national championship push.
Take the Boilermakers to win this game easily and they may even be able to cover the spread despite its likelihood of being substantial.
NCAA Men’s Basketball Odds: Purdue 85, Michigan 71
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