The 2023 Big Ten Tournament continues on Friday with a slate of quarterfinal matchups. In the first game of the day, the No. 1 seed Purdue Boilermakers face the No. 9 seed Rutgers Scarlet Knights at the United Center. Purdue is 26-5 overall and 15-5 in conference play, winning the Big Ten regular season title. Rutgers is 19-13 overall after a second round win over Michigan on Thursday, and the Scarlet Knights defeated the Boilermakers in a regular season matchup on Jan. 2.
Tipoff is at noon ET in Chicago. The Boilermakers are 6.5-point favorites, while the over/under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 128 in the latest Rutgers vs. Purdue odds. Before locking in any Purdue vs. Rutgers picks, you need to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s advanced computer simulation model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters conference tournament week 76-51 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning nearly $1,200 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now the model has zeroed in on Purdue vs. Rutgers and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Now, here are several college basketball odds and betting lines for Rutgers vs. Purdue:
- Purdue vs. Rutgers spread: Purdue -6.5
- Purdue vs. Rutgers over/under: 128 points
- Purdue vs. Rutgers money line: Purdue -275, Rutgers +220
- RUT: The Scarlet Knights are 11-9-1 against the spread in Big Ten games
- PUR: The Boilermakers are 8-10-2 against the spread in Big Ten games
- Purdue vs. Rutgers picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Rutgers can cover
Rutgers is led by its elite defense, which was on full display on Thursday. The Scarlet Knights held Michigan to just one field goal over a 19-minute stretch in the second half and allowed only 50 points against the Wolverines before advancing. Rutgers is in the top five of the country in adjusted defensive efficiency, while leading the Big Ten in opponent shooting this season. The Scarlet Knights also create havoc, including top-three marks in the Big Ten in turnover creation rate, steal rate and block rate.
Rutgers is in the top four of the conference in free throw rate allowed, a key trait against Purdue, and the Boilermakers do have question marks on offense. Purdue is a poor 3-point shooting team, connecting on fewer than 33% of attempts this season. The Boilermakers also have the second-worst turnover rate (18.4%) and the worst live-ball turnover rate (10.6%) in the Big Ten this season.
Why Purdue can cover
Purdue has been the class of the Big Ten this season and the biggest reason for the team’s success is the presence of Zach Edey. The veteran 7-foot-4 center is the 2022-23 Big Ten player of the year and many consider Edey to be the front-runner for national player of the year honors. Edey leads the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 21.9 points, and he is also No. 1 in rebounding (12.8 per game). He is hyper-efficient, making 61.1% of shots, and Edey is No. 2 in the conference with 2.3 blocked shots per game. Edey’s physical size and skill make things difficult for opponents, and Purdue’s offense is elite around him.
The Boilermakers rank in the top 15 of the country in adjusted offensive efficiency, and Purdue is No. 2 in the nation with a 38.5% offensive rebound rate. Purdue leads the Big Ten in free throw creation rate and assist rate, and the Boilermakers are in the top three of the conference in overall shooting efficiency. That includes 53.2% from 2-point range in conference play, and Purdue is shooting 74.7% from the free throw line for the full season.
How to make Rutgers vs. Purdue picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 134 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time. You can only see the model’s picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Purdue vs. Rutgers? And which side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.
