Purdue Has Three Players On The Midseason Wooden Watch List

Alabama beat No. 13 LSU last night in a close game, not the team you want to lose to if you’re a Baton Rouge native 😐 — let’s talk Purdue vs. Indiana 👇

Purdue vs. Indiana Preview

A plethora of upsets in college basketball has led to some major reshuffling within the Top 25, and the gap between the nation’s elite and the middle of the pack has looked awfully narrow this season. But, if there is a short list of national title contenders, one team that is definitely on it is the Purdue Boilermakers 🗣

Fresh off an impressive victory over #17 Illinois, Purdue and their 15-2 record will be put to the test tonight against an Indiana team that’s been a force at home. Here’s how the lines are looking ahead of the Big Ten battle👇

#4 Purdue @ Indiana Betting Preview

• Spread: Purdue -3.5

• Moneyline: Purdue -175 (bet $175, win $100), Indiana +140 (bet $100, win $140)

• Over/Under: 145

Indiana has been on the wrong end of the in-state rivalry recently, having lost their last nine games against Purdue. But, the Hoosiers are a perfect 11-0 on their home floor this season 🤔

The Big Ten’s Shining Stars

Star-power has been the name of the game in the Big Ten this season, and fortunately for Purdue, they have three of them. Jaden Ivey, Zach Edey, and Trevion Williams all appeared on the the Wooden Award Midseason Top-25 list — the Boilermakers are the only team with three players on the list

• Ivey has been one of the best guards in the country this season, averaging over 16 PPG, 5 RPG, and 3 APG. He currently has the 11th-best odds to win the Wooden Award (+2500)

• Edey is a recent addition to the Wooden Watch List, but a deserving one— the 7’4’’ sophomore center has scored at least 20 points in four of his past five games

• Williams is the senior leader for the Boilermakers; a First-Team All-Big Ten selection last year, the forward has upped his offensive efficiency this season and ranks top-five in the conference in rebounding

Containing the red-hot Edey could be a problem tonight for the Hoosiers, who don’t have member of their regular rotation taller than 6’9’’. The player likely tasked with going blow for blow with the big man is Indiana’s own star, Trayce Jackson-Davis 

• Jackson-Davis has posted four-straight double-doubles; since the calendar flipped, the sophomore is averaging 20.2 PPG and 10.4 RPG

• The recent hot streak is getting national attention, despite Indiana’s low profile (the Hoosiers have yet to be ranked at any point this season). But, Jackson-Davis still has the 10th-best odds to win the Wooden Award (+2000)

Tonight’s rivalry matchup is the perfect opportunity for both Jackson-Davis and the Hoosiers to earn more recognition. Based on the tight line, we could be in store for a great game 😎

Trivia question: Purdue has had just one first-round pick in the last 10 NBA Drafts — who was it? (answer below)

Pac-12 Action

Purdue-Indiana may take the cake as the game of the night, but another matchup out west isn’t too far behind. USC, coming off a tough week, heads to Boulder to take on Colorado in a PAC-12 clash with a rare 7:30PM ET tip. Here’s a look at the lines 👇

 #16 USC @ Colorado Betting Preview

• Spread: USC -1.5

• Moneyline: USC -118 (bet $118, win $100), Colorado EVEN (bet $100, win $100)

• Over/Under: 137

After winning their first 13 games of the season, the Trojans have dropped two out of their last three. But a good reason to believe they’ll return to form is the consistent play of Isaiah Mobley

• The older brother of current NBA ROY-front-runner Evan Mobley (-150), Isaiah has emerged as a frontrunner for Pac-12 Player of the Year. The forward leads the conference in rebounding (9.2 per game), while ranking fifth in scoring (15.3)

As long as Mobley is playing well, USC should still be one of the better teams in the country. However, tonight’s game is not a guaranteed bounce back. At 12-4, the Buffaloes have been a solid squad this year, especially on their home floor, with just one loss at the CU Events Center this season 💪

For My Parlay Gurus

You can never discount home court advantage in college basketball, but with that being said, I’m going with both the road favorites in this parlay 😜

• Purdue -3.5 @ Indiana: -110

• USC -1.5 @ Colorado: -109

$100 on this bet would win you $266 — if we hit, make sure to email [email protected] for $100**. First come, first serve 😉

Trivia answer: After a record-breaking sophomore season at Purdue, big man Caleb Swanigan was a first-round selection in 2017. He was taken 26th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers