The Arizona Wildcats have one of the most dynamic players in college football at quarterback. The Purdue Boilermakers have a top-shelf defense. Something will have to give when these teams face off in the Foster Farms Bowl in late December.
Arizona finished the regular season with a 7-5 record, and boasts superstar Khalil Tate as a dual threat behind center. Purdue went 6-6 on the year but believes it has the personnel to slow him down. That will be the matchup to watch in this one, and the team that wins it should have the advantage.
The Wildcats have struggled on the defense side of the ball, so if the Boilermakers can limit Tate, they could be in good shape. That is easier said than done, and Arizona will enter this matchup as the favorite in large part to having the most impactful player in the game on its side.
This bowl game will take place on Wednesday, December 27, 2017, at 8:30 p.m. ET at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Purdue Boilermakers +3.5
Arizona Wildcats -3.5
Over/Under 65
Odds Analysis
The Wildcats are slight favorites, but that half-point could make things interesting since a loss by a field goal or less would result in a cover form Purdue. That has piqued the attention of bettors as more than 57 percent of the action is on Purdue to cover the spread.
The Boilermakers may have a stingy defense but this scoring total is still high because Arizona both scores and gives up a lot of points. The “under” is the more popular play, with about 65 percent of the action heading that way.
Player To Watch
Tate — The Arizona quarterback began the year as the backup but has been a revelation since entering the lineup. He has thrown for 1,289 yards with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions on the season, but Tate’s real strength is his legs. He has carried the ball 133 times on the season for 1,353 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Tate had an otherworldly stretch in the middle of the season. He started it off by rushing for a mind-boggling 327 yards against the Ducks, and then followed that up with 230 yards against UCLA, 137 yards against California, 146 yards against Washington State, 161 yards against USC and 206 yards against Oregon State.
Tate was doing the damage with his arm in the regular season finale against Arizona State, but injured his shoulder late in the first half and had to sit out the majority of the second half. He should be all healed up for this one, which is a huge boost to Arizona’s chances.
Key Stat
187.3. That’s the number of rushing yards Arizona has allowed per game this season, which must be music to the ears of Purdue running back Markell Jones. He had a huge game last time out, carrying the ball 31 times for 217 yards in a win over Indiana, and would love to stack up another big-time performance.
The Wildcats’ defense has been shoddy all season. The team is giving up 34.1 points per game and the unit has allowed 464.2 yards of total offense overall. Purdue quarterback Elijah Sindelar has been decent this season but he will likely need to have a big game in order for the Boilermakers to hang with Tate and the Wildcats.
Free ATS Pick
Purdue’s defense has been really good this year but Tate’s athleticism is something that is hard to game-plan against. His ability to freelance puts a ton of stress on the defense, and that will be the difference in the end.
Take Arizona to both win this game and cover the spread. The “under” is the choice on the scoring total as Purdue will at least make enough stops to prevent this from being a shootout.
College Football Odds: Arizona 34, Purdue 27
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