Fourteenth seeded Saint Peter's will make its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 16 years when it takes the court tonight against Big Ten power Purdue. This evening's Southwest Region skirmish is scheduled to get underway at 7:20pm ET at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois; it will be broadcast live on TNT. College Basketball Lines have the Boilermakers listed as a -14.5 college basketball picks favorite and the Over/Under set at 122.
St. Peter's finished fourth in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with an 11-7 league record, but the Peacocks, like many 
of their NCAA Tournament brethren, got on a roll in conference tournament play.
The Peacocks were probably an after thought for their league foes going into the MAAC's postseason playoff given the way they closed out the regular season. St. Peter's had lost its last two games and it won just three of its final seven outings.
The Peacocks brushed their late season woes aside, though, and went on a 3-0 run in the conference tournament, beating Loyola, Fairfield, and Iona to secure an automatic NCAA's bid.
Following a 59-66 February 1st loss at Wisconsin, Purdue went on a 7-0 tear through the Big Ten, which, despite a season finale loss at Iowa, helped it to finish second in the conference standings behind Ohio State.
The Boilermakers did lose a touch of momentum in closing out conference play, with the aforementioned loss to the Hawkeyes and a 56-74 setback against Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament.
Still, Purdue (25-7), which features major talents JaJuan Johnson (20.5 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 2.3 bpg) and E'Twaun Moore (18.2 ppg), represents possibly the biggest threat to No. 1 Kansas in the Southwest bracket.
The Boilermakers, which are 12-0 in their last 12 NCAA Tournament openers, should cruise tonight against the Peacocks. The betting public would seem to agree with that sentiment as Purdue is presently drawing 70 percent of the side action.
St. Peter's vs Purdue 2011 NCAA Bracket Predictions:
St. Peter's Peacocks +14.5 (-110), Over 122 (-110), +980 (Moneyline)
Purdue Boilermakers -14.5 (-110), Under 122 (-110), -1400 (Moneyline)
