The Purdue Boilermakers just got done handing their supporters one of the worst pointspread defeats of the college basketball betting season when they dropped an 84-78 decision to the Michigan Wolverines in overtime as 5.5-point underdogs. Maybe they can make up for it at online sportsbooks Sunday afternoon when they return home to the comforts of Mackey Arena to host the No. 8 Michigan State Spartans. The chore won’t be easy however with Tom Izzo’s troops catching fire of late having rattled off five straight pointspread covers since stinking the joint up for CBB bettors throughout the month of December.
This B1G showdown will take place on Sunday, January 12, 2020. Tip-off will be at 12 p.m. ET from Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, IN. The game will be broadcast live on CBS. So make sure to fill out your March Madness Bracket today!
CBB Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Odds Analysis
Ever since falling in embarrassing fashion at home to the Duke Blue Devils, Sparty has been in quite the groove. The team currently finds itself amidst an eight-game win streak that’s seen them cover the closing college basketball betting odds six times. The fifth straight was logged Thursday night at home against Daniel Oturu and the Minnesota Golden Gophers in a game that was competitive for a half, but completely one-sided when it mattered most the final 20 minutes of the game. Cassius Winston and Xavier Tillman proved to be dynamic once again combining for 46 of the Spartans 74 total points. Tillman also won his personal battle with the Gophers stud big man outboarding him 16-10. MSU hits the road ranked No. 3 by the Pomeroy Ratings with 4-1 SU and 1-4 ATS records in tow.
What a difference a year makes! The Boilermakers were an 80-75 overtime defeat to the Virginia Cavaliers away from reaching the Final Four this season. But now that the roster has suffered a ton of attrition, Matt Painter’s squad might be headed to the NIT this time around; if they’re lucky. With seven losses accrued through 16 total games and a poor 2-3 SU record in Big Ten play staring at them in the mirror, it’s high time the Boilers got their steam engine going. The opportunity was there to log a solid road win in Ann Arbor last time out, but the team was simply unable to land the death blow when needed most. Though Trevion Williams erupted for the biggest game of his career with 36 points and 20 rebounds, it proved to not be enough. As bad it’s been for PU to date, it’s been much better at home where it stands 7-3 SU and 6-4 ATS with wins over VCU and Virginia to its credit.
Key Injury
With skyscrapers like Tillman and Marcus Bingham Jr. patrolling the blocks along with Gabe Brown and Aaron Henry, you have to have capable bigs at your disposal to clog the paint to have much of any shot of taking down the Spartans. Unfortunately for the Boilers, their biggest big – Matt Haarms – went down with what’s being deemed a hip injury at the end of the first half in the Michigan game. He limped back onto the court for the second half but situated himself on the pine for the remainder of the game. Should the junior center and his 10.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game be forced to miss this game, it’s going to give Sparty the leg up when it comes to doing work on the blocks. With him in the lineup, the Boilers rank No. 66 in 2-point defense. Without him, the Wolverines already proved they could eat down low and Sparty ranks very similar to their hated rivals in that department. Make it a point to check the injury reports to see if Haarms is a go should you be leaning towards taking the points on Sunday.
Prediction
Purdue has come out victorious each of the last three times it hosted this rivalry (2-1 ATS). That three-game win streak will be in jeopardy on Sunday when Sparty hits the Mackey hardwood favored for the first time since the 2014 season. The key to having the intangibles necessary to defeat Michigan State this season is tough interior defense and the ability to knock down the 3-ball at a high clip. With Haarms in the mix, the Boilers have the former, but by no means check the box for the latter with the team converting at as pedestrian 33.2 percent clip from beyond the arc (No. 188). On top of that, the offense has simply been dreadful overall with it really missing the services of Carsen Edwards and a number of other standouts from a season ago. While anything can happen and Purdue finds itself back home where it has excelled, Sparty is simply just way too hot right now for me to entertain the thought of getting in front of them in this spot.
College Basketball Pick: Michigan State 73, Purdue 63
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