Purdue vs. Kansas Prediction
Will No. 1 Kansas continue to roll along when it takes on No. 4 Purdue in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament tonight at 9:39PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, Kansas is favored in today’s game, as the Jayhawks are getting odds of -5 points against Purdue. The over/under total for the game is listed at 156 points. These two last met in 2012, with Kansas getting a 63-60 victory. This game will take part in the Midwest Region and air on CBS from the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
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Kansas looked very good last weekend, beating UC-Davis and Michigan State by a total of 58 points. The Jayhawks are now 30-4 on the season while putting up a record of 13-18-1 against the spread. Kansas is averaging 83.4 points per game on offense while allowing 72 on defense. Over their last five games, Kansas is averaging 87 points on offense while giving up 73. Frank Mason III has been the team leader all season with an average of 20.8 points and 5.2 assists per game. Josh Jackson is adding 16.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per contest. Jackson is coming off a 23-point performance in the win over Michigan State.
Purdue is now 27-7 on the season thanks to an 80-76 win over Iowa State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Boilermakers are now 19-10-2 against the spread this season as well. Purdue is averaging 80.1 points per game on offense while giving up just 67.5 on defense. Purdue has been led by Caleb Swanigan, who is averaging 18.5 points and 12.6 rebounds per game. He has had a double-double in five straight games and is averaging 18 points and 13 rebounds over the two NCAA Tournament contests. Vince Edwards is averaging 12.7 points per game on the season and he has scored 21 points in their first two March Madness contests.
When filling out a bracket, I picked Purdue to go to Final Four. I liked the Boilermakers offense and Swanigan’s ability to take over games on the glass. However, Kansas looked as good as it has all season last week. The Jayhawks struggled with playing down to competition this season, as shown by their record against the spread, but they took care of business last week and have covered in six of their last eight. Kansas has more depth and talent than Purdue and is basically at home tonight. Give me the Jayhawks minus the points.
MARCH MADNESS PREDICTION: KANSAS -5