A Big Ten matchup represents MyBookie’s college basketball game of the day on Thursday when the Purdue Boilermakers take on the Golden Gophers in Minneapolis. Purdue is considered one of the best teams in the nation, while the Gophers are looking to turn around their season after a 1-5 start in league play.
The game is scheduled for a 7:00 PM EST tip-off from Williams Arena in Minneapolis, MN, and will be broadcast on ESPN2. The Boilermakers enter the game as a favorite (-13) on the road with a total currently set at 133 points. Let’s take a look at this analysis for your College Basketball Betting.
The Gophers Look Far From Golden
Coach Ben Johnson appeared to have improved his program earlier this season when the Gophers started the season with a 4-1 record. However, the Gophers have gone just 3-7 overall while not faring much better against the spread. Minnesota is just 6-9-1 against the spread on the season and is underperforming the number by -2.2 points per contest which ranks dead last in the Big Ten.
Despite their poor overall record, the Gophers have seemingly turned it around recently. Prior to their loss to Illinois on Monday, Johnsons’ club had covered three consecutive games. Against the total, Minnesota has gone over just five times this season though they have done so twice in their last three games.
In their previous matchup with the Boilermakers, Minnesota was able to manage 1.03 points per possession, which is respectable. Where they came up short was shooting eight fewer free throws than the Boilermakers made and getting outrebounded by twenty rips.
Purdue Looking Like a Contender
It was easy to cast doubt upon this Boilermaker group early in the season as they relied upon a big man that had never played big minutes. Head Coach Matt Painter was also reliant upon a couple of freshmen that were unproven and replacing players that were incredibly talented on both ends of the floor.
That doubt has been cast aside as Zack Edey appears to be a Player of the Year frontrunner, averaging 21 points and 13 rebounds per game while posting a career-best 31 minutes per game. The freshmen have also been unflappable as both Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith continue to drill triples at an incredible rate (43% and 47%, respectively) and make big plays in big moments despite their inexperience.
The Boilermakers have put some big victories on the board this season en route to their 17-1 record, but they have not covered many of their spreads. Purdue ranks as the third-worst team in the Big Ten against the spread at 7-10-1, while their margin of victory number ranks second at +13.9 points. On the road, they are just 1-3 ATS and underperforming the number by -2.5 points per game.
Minnesota may be looking to rebound following an 18-point loss to Illinois on their home floor. That said, Purdue is rolling at the moment, winning both close games under pressure and some by double digits.
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