Purdue at Maryland Spread, Betting Pick & TV Info

One can make an argument that either No. 23 Purdue or No. 17 Maryland is the best team in the Big Ten this season – not saying much with how watered-down that conference is – and the Boilermakers make a trip to College Park on Saturday afternoon in one of the day’s better games. The Terps are solid favorites on NCAA basketball lines.

Purdue at Maryland Spread, Betting Pick & TV Info

Looking : #Purdue 80, Northwestern 59. pic.twitter.com/jwiKvk9Sae

— Purdue Basketball (@BoilerBall) February 2, 2017

When: Saturday, Feb. 4, Noon ET Where: XFINITY Center, College Park, Md. TV: ESPN Stream: WatchESPN Radio: Purdue / Maryland Opening NCAAB Lines: Maryland by TBA

Why Bet on Purdue?

The Boilermakers, who hosted a good Northwestern team Wednesday, have plenty of talent, led by potential Big Ten Player of the Year Caleb Swanigan, but it also has questionable losses at home to Minnesota and at Iowa and Nebraska. None of those teams will make the NCAA Tournament – maybe the Gophers. This is the juncture of the season when physical wear-and- tear begins to accumulate. Purdue center Isaac Haas has been limited by a hip pointer. Forward Vincent Edwards shrugged off the effects of his own lingering back pain, saying since he was playing he couldn’t make excuses. His is just one example of the ways the Boilermakers must summon mental and physical toughness down the back stretch of the regular season. The Boilers lead the Big Ten Conference in scoring (82.7 points), scoring margin (15.9), 3-point percentage (41.9), assists (19.7) and are near the top in free throw and field goal shooting and rebounding percentage. However, they're only 12th in turnover margin (minus-1.5). Purdue, UCLA and Notre Dame are the only power-conference schools to rank in the nation’s top 25 in both 3-point percentage and 3-pointers made per game. Purdue is 5th and 23rd, respectively. Purdue has six players that average at least 1.0 3-pointer per game (V. Edwards, C. Edwards, Mathias, Thompson, Cline, Swanigan). Those six players are a combined 203-of- 470 (.432) from 3-point range. The rest of the team is a combined 8-of- 33 (.242) from deep. Purdue is 26-1 since the start of last year when outrebounding opponents by 10 or more. The lone loss came to Minnesota this year. Purdue has four players averaging at least 3.0 assists per game. The Boilermakers are second nationally in assists per game (19.7).

Why Bet on Maryland?

The Terps will have an extra day of rest compared to Purdue as Maryland won at Ohio State 77-71 on Tuesday. With No. 17 Maryland holding on to a one-point lead with 2 1/2 minutes remaining, star Melo Trimble knocked down a 3-pointer and scored the Terps’ last seven points as they held off the tenacious Buckeyes. Maryland (20-2, 8-1) got its seventh straight win, its fifth Big Ten road win without a loss this season and to the best 22-game start in school history. Trimble’s late heroics are expected, given that the Terps are now 29-6 over his career in games decided by six points or less. “Like I’ve always said, I play with a lot of confidence; if I miss the first one, I’m going to shoot the next one,” Trimble said. “Coming into the game, I missed a lot of shots, a lot of 3s that I thought would go in. I just stayed within the game and stayed mature about it and stayed confident. I took that shot and made it.” Trimble is one of only five players in Maryland history to record 1,400 points, 350 assists and 100 steals, joining Juan Dixon, Greivis Vasquez, Johnny Rhodes and Walt Williams. He now boasts 20 double-figure scoring games this season and passed Derrick Lewis for 17th on Maryland’s career scoring list (1,462). He has averaged 16.6 points, six assists and six rebounds over the last four games while shooting at a 55.2 percent clip during that span. While Trimble finished with 13 points, it was freshman forward Justin Jackson who again helped give the Terps their road swagger. Coming off a career-high 28-point performance last Saturday at Minnesota, Jackson led Maryland with 22 points — all in the first 25 minutes — and a career-high 12 rebounds. Maryland is now 29-6 in games decided by six points or less in the last three seasons. Jackson’s double-double marked the first back-to- back double-double for a Maryland freshman since Jordan Williams posted a pair in the NCAA Tournament against Houston and Michigan State in 2010.

Purdue at Maryland Betting Pick: Maryland Terrapins

This is the only scheduled meeting between Purdue and Maryland – lean the Terps on the spread at home.