Minnesota vs. #6 Purdue: Predictions and Insights

Tonight’s matchup in West Lafayette brings plenty of excitement as Minnesota steps into a hostile environment against No. 6 Purdue. One team is riding high after a major upset, the other is looking to bounce back with force. The stage is set, the energy is real, and this one has serious potential.

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Minnesota vs. #6 Purdue Odds

Can the Boilermakers bounce back after a brutal loss?

Odds are courtesy of BetOnline, a longtime fixture among the top online sports betting sites. Check out our BetOnline sportsbook review, then bag a big bonus (100% if your first deposit is with Bitcoin, Ethereum, or another cryptocurrency) to bet on College Basketball games.

Spread

Minnesota: +20 (-105)

Purdue: -20 (-115)

Total

Over: 143 (-105)

Under: 143 (-115)

Moneyline

Minnesota: N/A

Purdue: N/A

Minnesota vs. #6 Purdue Best Bet

Welcome to the game of the night, as the Minnesota Golden Gophers head to West Lafayette to take on No. 6 Purdue. Both teams are coming off completely opposite results in their previous matchups. The Boilermakers suffered a terrible loss, while the Gophers upset a top 25 team. This has the making of being one of the better games of the day, regardless of the spread being so high. Let us dive in!

I want to start by thanking the script writers for letting my favorite system play land on my birthday. No, this is not me baiting you into finding me on socials and wishing me a blah blah blah. We are here to fade the storm. Following Minnesota’s 73 to 64 win over a then No. 22 Indiana team, the Golden Gopher faithful stormed the court in celebration. The rule I live and die by, if you storm a field or court, I have to fade you in your next game.

FADE THE STORM

Tonight, we are on Purdue. I snagged the Boilermakers as soon as they opened at 18.5, the number is now up to 20 on BetOnline. I still endorse the 20, because the Boilermakers are also coming off a brutal 81 to 58 loss to Iowa State. I could make the argument they were due for regression after starting the season so hot and dominant. This is the perfect bounce back spot for Purdue at home.

Despite this being a very slow paced game, as both teams are bottom 25 in tempo, Purdue has earned all of my respect this season. From what they have shown early on, they are extremely deep and talented. They have answered nearly every early test, enduring the 26th toughest schedule to start the year. Haslametrics has them with a massive advantage in average season rank, momentum, and consistency in this matchup.

True Road Test

This will be Minnesota’s second true road game of the season. Back on November 12, they lost to Missouri on the road 83 to 60. Purdue is far and away better than the Tigers. Overall, this will be the Golden Gophers fifth game away from home, and they have yet to cover a spread outside their own gym this season. They have also not been double digit underdogs at any point this year, so it will be interesting to see how ready they are for this game after a big win.

Minnesota has a few flaws that Purdue is going to exploit tonight, and the first is attacking them from deep. The Golden Gophers are 307th in three point defense. The Boilermakers are 13th in three point percentage, while sitting 197th in three point rate. They do not rely heavily on threes, but they make them at a high rate. On top of that, Minnesota is 234th in three point percentage, so if they fall behind, chucking threes will not save them.

Secondly, Minnesota is the best team at getting to the line, but they are horrible at making their free throws. Luckily, Purdue is second in free throw rate defense, so if they foul, the Gophers will likely miss anyway. Plus, with Purdue being at home, I can pull this stat out. The Boilermakers are 54th in free throw rate defense. The home crowd gets in their opponents heads.

Purdue should control this game from start to finish, with their depth, shooting, and defense carrying the load. Minnesota is walking into a tough environment after an emotional win, and every matchup edge points to the Boilermakers. This is the ideal spot to trust Purdue to respond in a big way.