Purdue at Minnesota – College Basketball Odds & Predictions: The Minnesota Golden Gophers mens basketball team are a unit that could use a quality win to give strength to its NCAA tournament resume. With third-ranked Purdue coming to town Wednesday (8:30 pm Eastern), a win here would probably be just what the doctor ordered to put the Golden Gophers inside the tournament bubble rather than on the outside looking in.
College basketball oddsmakers at online sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com have installed the Boilermakers as 3 1/2-chalk favorites versus the Golden Gophers with a 135 total. Minnesota backers are getting +140 odds on the SPORTSBETTING moneyline while Purdue is giving -160.
Minnesota has played four games already this season against top-10 teams, having defeated No.10 Butler and dropping games to Purdue and two to Michigan State. The Gophers are amongst the nations leaders in many statistical categories. As of the NCAA's most recent stats, Minnesota is 6th in assists per game (17.3), 11th in three-point field goal percentage (.399), 14th in blocked shots (6.1), 20th in steals per game (8.8) and 20th in assist turnover ratio (1.32). Individually, Blake Hoffarber is second in the nation in 3-point FG percentage (.490) and 45th in three-point field goals per game (2.7). Also, Damian Johnson is first in the Big Ten Conference and sits 36th nationally with 2.0 steals per game.
Purdue is 10-3 on the year against teams currently ranked in the top 100 of the NCAA RPI, and Minnesota heads into the matchup ranked 76th. The Boilermakers have won the last four meetings with the Golden Gophers and enters the contest with a 6-2 record in true road games. Junior E'Twaun Moore heads into the Minnesota game with a streak of 25-straight double-figure scoring performances, one away from matching the longest streak of the Matt Painter coaching era.
Purdue continues to dominate the Big Ten, taking a 75-65 win over Illinois at Mackey Arena Saturday. Illinois covered as a 12.5-point road underdog while the final score played OVER the 136-point total.
Minnesota jumped out to a huge lead and never looked back in an 81-58 pounding of Indiana on Saturday. Minnesota covered the 16.5-point spread, while the 139 points made it OVER the posted total of 137. Lawrence Westbrook shot 6-for-9 from the field with 20 points, and Damian Johnson added 16 in the win.
Both teams are playing well but Purdue it will take plenty to slow down the Boilermakers train that has won nine straight games. While we like Purdue to squeak past the Golden Gophers, they will have trouble covering the 3 1/2 line. BEST BET – Take Minnesota as a home dog +3 1/2.
