Northwestern vs. Purdue Prediction, Odds for Big Ten Tournament 3rd Round

The No. 18 Purdue Boilermakers open their Big Ten Tournament against the Northwestern Wildcats in the third round tonight.

Northwestern took down Penn State in the first round before upsetting Indiana last night. Meanwhile, Purdue has had four days off since getting upset by Wisconsin in its regular-season finale.

Unfortunately, that was a common theme in the final weeks of the season for the Boilermakers. They lost three of their final four games, being favored by -6.5 or more in all three losses.

Purdue did beat Northwestern 70-66 on the road in between those losses, though.

Let’s take a look at the odds, players to watch and my prediction for this Big Ten matchup.

Northwestern vs. Purdue Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Northwestern +12.5 (-115)
Purdue -12.5 (-105)

Moneyline

Northwestern +575
Purdue -850

Total

139.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Northwestern vs. Purdue How to Watch

Date: Thursday, March 12
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Venue: United Center
How to Watch (TV): BTN
Northwestern record: 15-18
Purdue record: 23-8

Northwestern vs. Purdue Betting Trends

Northwestern is 16-17 ATS this season
Purdue is 13-18 ATS this season
The UNDER is 18-15 in Northwestern games this season
The UNDER is 16-15 in Purdue games this season

Northwestern vs. Purdue Key Players to Watch

Nick Martinelli, Forward, Northwestern

Nick Martinelli doesn’t want his collegiate career to end just yet. The senior averaged the fifth-most points in the country this season at 22.9, including 28 against Purdue last week.

Martinelli has now scored 22 or more points in seven straight games, including 24 against Penn State and 28 against Indiana last night. He’ll need another big game if Northwestern wants to stay alive in the Big Ten Tournament.

Northwestern vs. Purdue Prediction and Pick

The funny thing about college basketball is that it really only matters how you play in March. Purdue’s early-season No. 1 ranking feels years away as it stumbled to the finish.

The rest advantage for Purdue could be key tonight, though, as the Boilermakers had four days off while Northwestern will be playing for the third straight night. That is why the regular season does hold some weight.

Still, I can’t back Purdue as double-digit favorites. Maybe Northwestern does completely run out of gas, but I think they can keep this game within single digits tonight in Chicago.

Pick: Northwestern +12.5 (-115)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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