Iowa State vs. Purdue Pick
Saturday’s NCAA Tournament action concludes at 9:40PM ET when No. 4 Purdue faces No. 5 Iowa State.
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, Purdue is favored to win, as the Boilermakers are getting odds of -1 point against Iowa State. The over/under total for the game is listed at 152 points. This game will take part in the Midwest Region and air on TBS from the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Purdue is coming off an 80-70 win over Vermont on Thursday. The Boilermakers are now 26-7 on the season with the win and 18-10-2 against the spread. Purdue now averages 80.1 points per game on offense while allowing 67.2 on defense. In Thursday’s win, Vince Edwards stepped up and scored 21 points while Caleb Swanigan posted 16 points and 14 rebounds. Head Coach Matt Painter used just eight players in the game, so one has to wonder about fatigue for today’s contest.
Iowa State is coming off an 84-73 win over Nevada on Thursday for its fourth straight win. The Cyclones are now 24-10 on the season and 19-12 against the spread. ISU is averaging 81 points per game on offense now while allowing 72 on defense. In Thursday’s win, Iowa State shot 55 percent from the field and 42 percent from 3-point land. The Cyclones were led by Monte Morris, who had 19 points with eight rebounds and eight assists. Iowa State also only ran out eight players in the win, with the five starters each logging in over 30 minutes.
This game could be a shootout, but neither team will have much for fresh legs, so the question is which team’s shooting will go first? Purdue has been the more reliable defense, so I side with the Boilermakers tonight. Swanigan is going to be a handful to deal with for Iowa State, especially on the glass. A few second chances in this game could lead to a win, and I think Purdue is more likely to get those chances.
MARCH MADNESS PREDICTION: PURDUE -1