Ohio vs. Purdue Prediction
Will Purdue do enough to cover the spread at home when the Boilermakers face Ohio tonight at 8PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Purdue is favored at home, as the Boilermakers are getting odds of -3 points against Ohio. The over/under total has been set at 54.5 points. These two teams haven’t met since 1988. Tonight’s game takes place from Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana. The game will air live on FS1.
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Purdue opened its 2017 season with a 35-28 loss to Louisville from the home of the Indianapolis Colts. Despite the loss, Purdue easily covered a 25.5-point spread. Purdue was outgained 524-344 in the loss and the Boilermakers committed four turnovers, which aided in the lopsided yardage totals. The Boilermakers struggled to establish a ground game, putting up only 51 yards. At QB, Purdue is still battling between two guys as David Blought and Elijah Sindelar each saw playing time in the loss. Blough was 18-of-26 for 175 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions while Sindelar had 118 yards with two scores and a pick on 15-of-31 passing. Jackson Anthrop caught seven passes for 82 yards and two touchdowns.
Ohio started its season with an impressive 59-0 win over Hampton last weekend, covering a 36-point spread in the process. The Bobcats dominated on both sides of the ball, as it out-gained Hampton 420-108 while forcing a pair of turnovers. Quinton Maxwell played limited time and threw for 100 yards with a touchdown while other quarterback Nathan Rourke threw for 72 yards and rushed for 50 yards with three scores. The defensive effort was led by Evan Croutch, who had four tackles with two sacks.
Purdue managed to cover against Louisville, but the team still had plenty of issues, especially with the run game. That could be a problem against Ohio, a team that prides itself on being physical up front. The Bobcats are coached by Frank Solich, a hard-nosed coach that has had impressive defenses over the years. Ohio has fared well on the road, going 8-1 against the spread in their last 9 road games. The Bobcats are also 5-1 ATS in their last 6 against Big Ten opponents. Purdue is just 2-8 ATS in its last 10 home games and 7-15 ATS in its last 22 against the MAC. Jeff Brohm is trying to change the culture at Purdue, but it’s not going to change overnight. Look for Ohio to give Purdue all it can handle and possibly steal the win outright.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREDICTION: OHIO +3