Penn State vs. #1 Purdue Prediction, Picks & Betting Odds for Today, 1/13
The nation’s No.1 ranked team, Purdue, returns home this afternoon for a Big Ten battle against Penn State. Purdue suffered its second loss of the season on Tuesday in shocking fashion at Nebraska, while Penn State blew an eight-point halftime lead at home, losing to Northwestern and dropping to 8-8 overall on the season.
In summation, Penn State at Purdue is a battle between one of the conference’s weakest and, arguably, the conference’s best, despite the Big Ten standings saying otherwise at this current moment in time. In the contents below, our experts dive into a game preview and betting analysis to deliver an official Penn State vs. Purdue prediction, powered by FanDuel Sportsbook.
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PENN STATE VS. PURDUE PREDICTION: Purdue -20.5 (-118 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
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Penn State vs. Purdue Prediction for Today's College Basketball Game
Purdue enters today’s matchup with laser-focused determination, as they were blitzed by Nebraska’s offensive onslaught on Tuesday. Unfortunately for Penn State, Purdue is all but guaranteed to avenge that loss in dominant fashion at home. Purdue has legit national championship aspirations this season, and Penn State is in a rebuilding year with a lot of new faces, including head coach Mike Rhoades, who was previously VCU’s head coach, from 2017-2023.
Despite these two squads having wildly different expectations this season, just one game separates them in Big Ten Conference play. Purdue wasn’t expected to be in this position, but road losses to Northwestern and Nebraska have the Boilermakers 1.5 games back of the Wisconsin Badgers (4-0 in Big Ten play), and a half-game back of three other teams.
Penn State brings Rhoades’ patented pressure to this game, which is always good for disturbing opposing backcourts and creating turnovers, but our expert Penn State vs. Purdue prediction says Purdue should be well-equipped to control this one, behind a big bounce-back performance from Zach Edey.
Penn State vs. Purdue Picks & Best Bets Featuring Purdue -20.5
At times last year, notably in the NCAA Tournament, Purdue’s freshmen backcourt looked scared and unable to handle intense full-court ball pressure. Now, in their sophomore campaigns, point guard Braden Smith and shooting guard Fletcher Loyer look much more assured and confident in their abilities. Southern Illinois Grad transfer Lance Jones has only helped in this regard. That’s not to say Penn State can’t disrupt and fluster Smith and Loyer, but we would be surprised to see these guards entirely bothered by what’s coming for them.
Penn State has really struggled to keep opponents from scoring in the lane once they routinely break their ball pressure. According to KenPom, Penn State ranks 234/366 teams in two-point percentage defense, and they allow two-point looks at the 62-highest clip in the country. If you have faith the Purdue backcourt can handle Penn State’s pressure behind their home crowd, then you can expect it to feel like a long day for the Nittany Lions.
With the two-point basket cheat code in Zach Edey, pretty much every entry pass in the post could result in two points. Penn State does not have the size nor the rebounding ability to keep Edey off the score sheet and on the glass. One of our favorite Penn State vs. Purdue picks on Edey props, especially considering he has been held to just 15 and 10 points his last two games. Head coach Matt Painter and his backcourt will be hyper-focused on feeding their big man and dominating this game inside-out.
Expect Penn State to force Purdue to play a little quicker than they typically would, resulting in shorter possessions and plenty of close proximity looks. We like Edey to eat early, opening up outside looks for his teammates as the game wears on, weaning down the Nittany Lions. In the end, Purdue will be far too much, allowing the Boilermakers to cover -20.5 (-118 at FanDuel). If you agree, follow our Penn State vs. Purdue prediction at FanDuel Sportsbook!
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Penn State vs. Purdue Betting Odds, Lines & Spreads at FanDuel Sportsbook
Here, we deliver Penn State vs. Purdue odds, courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook:
- Point Spread: Penn State +20.5 (-102) vs. Purdue -20.5 (-118)
- Money Line: Penn State (+1600) vs. Purdue (-4500)
- Point Total: Over 155.5 (-115) / Under 155.5 (-105)
The best bet from our Penn State vs. Purdue prediction is on the Penn State vs. Purdue spread. Backing Purdue on the spread means a $118 bet and Purdue winning by 21 points or more are needed to profit $100.
Probable Lineups for Penn State vs. Purdue Today, 1/13
Penn State:
- Ace Baldwin Jr.
- Kanye Clary
- Puff Johnson
- Zach Hicks
- Qudus Wahab
Purdue:
- Braden Smith
- Fletcher Loyer
- Lance Jones
- Trey Kaufman-Renn
- Zach Edey
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