Indiana vs Purdue Point Spread Favors Boilermakers By Wide Margin

Indiana and Purdue meet Friday night in the second leg of their in-state rivalry series, and oddsmakers have a clear favorite.

Purdue is an 11.5-point favorite over Indiana, and the over/under is 150.5 points, according to the DraftKings Sportsbook on Friday morning. The Boilermakers are -800 favorites on the moneyline, while Indiana's odds to win the game outright are +550.

These odds are an example of how important home court advantage can be in college basketball. Indiana won the first matchup 72-67 on its home floor at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Jan. 27, but oddsmakers don't give the Hoosiers much of a chance to win Friday's game.

That's because Mackey Arena –– like Assembly Hall –– is known as one of the toughest places to play in college basketball. The Boilermakers went 14-2 at home last season, following an undefeated home slate during the 2023-24 season. They've already lost three home games this season, though they came against high-level opponents in No. 1 Michigan, No. 11 Illinois and No. 10 Iowa State.

Home court advantage isn't the only reason Purdue is favored, of course. The Boilermakers moved up to No. 7 in Monday's AP Top 25 poll, following road wins over No. 7 Nebraska and Iowa that improved their record to 21-5 and 11-4 in the Big Ten. Their four-game win streak came to an end on Tuesday, though, with a 91-80 home loss to Michigan.

On the other side, Indiana is a middle-of-the-pack Big Ten team in coach Darian DeVries' first season at 17-9 overall and 8-7 in conference play. The Hoosiers won home games against Wisconsin and Oregon in early February before getting blown out at No. 8 Illinois on Sunday, 71-51.

In the first matchup between Indiana and Purdue, the Hoosiers were led by Lamar Wilkerson and Nick Dorn, who combined for 37 points. Trey Kaufman-Renn had a big game with 23 points, but senior guards Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer combined to make just 9-of-24 field goal attempts.

DeVries knows his team is in for a tough challenge Friday night inside what should be a loud Mackey Arena, which plays into Indiana's preparation.

"I think there's probably a few components. No. 1, just the communication aspect of play calls and that type of stuff, being able to relay that stuff," DeVries said. "Then anytime you get some environment, having your team be able to stay composed during those stretches and stuff. So that's what makes all the sports, home courts, so advantageous, is having that type of environment behind you.”

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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