Point Spread: Purdue Modest Favorite Over Tennessee With Final Four Spot on the Line

Purdue is favored against Tennessee on Sunday in the Midwest Regional finals in Detroit. It's the same line from their meeting in November. Here's the latest on the point spread, with a great history of what Purdue has done against the spread all season.

Purdue coach Matt Painter draws up a play against Tennessee last November in Hawaii. The two teams play again on Sunday in the Midwest Regional final, with a spot in the Final Four at stake. / Steven Erler-USA TODAY Sports

DETROIT, Mich. — Purdue played one of the toughest schedules in the country this year, and they've had great success taking on all comers this year. They're also seeing some familiar faces late in the NCAA Tournament.

They beat Gonzaga on Friday night in the regionals semifinals, and play Tennessee on Sunday at 2:40 p.m. ET in Detroit. They played both of those teams on consecutive days in the Maui Invitational in Hawaii in November. With the win over Gonzaga on Friday, the Boilermakers won their 32nd game of the year and are now 32-4 on the season. The 32 victories are a continuing school record.

Purdue has won its first three games in the NCAA Tournament by a combined 79 points (78-50 vs. Grambling; 106-67 vs. Utah State; 80-68 vs. Gonzaga).  They've also covered the point spread in all three NCAA games.

The No. 1-seeded Boilermakers are a 3.5-point favorite on Sunday against the No. 2 Volunteers, the only 1-2 matchup we got this year. The over/under is 147.5, according to the Fanduel.com gambling website. That's the same exact spread from their November meeting, where the Boilers covered in the four-point win.

The Boilermakers — the last Big Ten team standing after Illinois lost to Connecticut on Saturday — are hot right now. The 3.5-point spread doesn't seem like much. That first trip to the Final Four in 44 years seems there for the taking on Sunday.

Here's everything you need to know about Purdue's history against the spread this season

Purdue results vs. spread this season

Purdue is 32-4 overall and won the Big Ten regular season title with a 17-3 record, three games ahead of Illinois and five games in front of Nebraska and Northwestern. Their three league losses all came on the road, at Northwestern, Nebraska and Ohio State. They also lost to Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, but won the other 32 games.

The Boilermakers opened the season ranked No. 1 in the Kenpom.com computer rankings. Now they're at No. 3 as of Sunday morning.

Purdue is 21-15 against the spread this season, but that also includes three covers by just the half-point hook — including that first Tennessee meeting.

Here's what Purdue has done this season, straight up and against the spread:

• Nov. 6 — Beat Samford 98-45 at home as a 19.5-point favorite (covered). The score (143) went under the 144.5 over/under total.
• Nov. 10— Beat Morehead State 87-57 at home as an 28.5-point favorite (covered). The score (144) went over the 138.5 over/under total.
• Nov. 13 — Beat Xavier 83-71 at home in the Gavitt Games as a 16.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (154) went under the 149.5 over/under total.
• Nov. 20— Beat No. 11 Gonzaga 73-63 at Maui Invitational in Hawaii as a 5.5-point favorite (covered). The score (136) went under the 152.5 over/under total.
• Nov. 21— Beat No. 7 Tennessee 71-67 at Maui Invitational in Hawaii as a 3.5-point favorite (covered). The score (138) went over the 134.5 over/under total.
• Nov. 22 — Beat No. 4 Marquette 78-75 at Maui Invitational in Hawaii as a 2.5-point favorite (covered). The score (153) went over the 145.5 over/under total.
• Nov. 28— Beat Texas Southern 99-67 at home as a 31.5-point favorite (covered). The score (166) went over the 139.5 over/under total.
• Dec. 1 — Lost at Northwestern 92-88 in overtime as a 5.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (180) went over the 136.5 over/under total.
• Dec. 4 — Beat Iowa 87-68 at home as a 14.5-point favorite (covered). The score (155) went under the 158.5 over/under total.
• Dec. 9— Beat Alabama 92-86 in Toronto as an 5.5-point favorite (covered). The score (178) went over the 161.5 over/under total.
• Dec. 16 — Beat No. 1 Arizona 92-84 in Indianapolis as a 1.5-point underdog (covered). The score (176) went over the 159.5 over/under total.
• Dec. 21— Beat Jacksonville 100-57 at home as a 32.5-point favorite (covered). The score (157) went over the 148.5 over/under total.
• Dec. 29— Beat Eastern Kentucky 80-53 at home as a 28.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (138) went over the 134.5 over/under total.
• Jan. 2 — Won at Maryland 67-53 as a 6.5-point favorite (covered). The score (120) went under the 140.5 over/under total.
• Jan. 5— Beat No. 9 Illinois 83-78 at home as a 10.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (161) went over the 152.5 over/under total.
• Jan. 9 — Lost at Nebraska 88-72 as a 7.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (160) went over the 150.5 over/under total.
• Jan. 13— Beat Penn State 95-78 at home as an 18.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (173) went over the 151.5 over/under total.
• Jan. 16 — Won at Indiana 87-66 as a 9.5-point favorite (covered). The score (153) went over the 151.5 total.
• Jan. 20 — Won at Iowa 84-70 as a 7.5-point favorite (covered). The score (154) went under the 164.5 total.
• Jan. 23— Beat Michigan 99-67 at home as a 17.5-point favorite (covered). The score (166) went over the 153.5 over/under total.
• Jan. 28 — Won at Rutgers 68-60 as a 10.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (128) went under the 142.5 total.
• Jan. 31— Beat Northwestern 105-96 in overtime at home as a 14.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (201) went over the 141.5 over/under total.

Feb. 4 — Won at No. 6 Wisconsin 75-69 as a 1.5-point favorite (covered). The score (144) went over the 143.5 total.

Feb, 10— Beat Indiana 79-59 at home as a 17.5-point favorite (covered). The score (138) went under the 148.5 over/under total.

Feb, 15— Beat Minnesota 84-76 at home as a 16.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (160) went over the 145.5 over/under total.

Feb. 18 — Lost at Ohio State 73-69 as a 7.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (142) went under the 148.5 over/under total.

Feb. 22 — Beat Rutgers 96-68 at home as a 14.5-point favorite (covered). The score (164) went over the 139.5 over/under total.

Feb. 25 — Won at Michigan 84-76 as a 13.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (160) went over the 151.5 over/under total.

March 2 — Beat Michigan State 80-74 at home as a 10.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (154) went over the 145.5 over/under total.

March 5 — Won at Illinois 77-71 as a 2.5-point underdog (covered). The score (148) went under the 164.5 over/under total.

March 10 — Beat Wisconsin 78-70 at home as a 9.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (148) went over the 147.5 over/under total.

March 15 — Beat Michigan State 67-62 in Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals in Minneapolis, Minn. as a 7.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (129) went under the 141.5 over/under total.

March 16 — Lost to Wisconsin 76-75 in overtime in Big Ten Tournament semifinals in Minneapolis, Minn. as a 5.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (151) went under the 141.5 over/under total.

March 22 — Beat Grambling State 78-50 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis, Ind., as a 26.5-point favorite (covered). The score (128) went under the 137.5 over/under total.

March 24 — Beat Utah State 106-67 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis, Ind., as a 11.5-point favorite (covered). The score (173) went over the 151.5 over/under total.

March 29— Beat Gonzaga 80-68 in the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament in Detroit, Mich. as a 4.5-point favorite (covered). The score (173) went over the 151.5 over/under total.