Rutgers vs. #3 Purdue Prediction, Picks & Betting Odds for Today, 2/22
The #3 Purdue Boilermakers men’s basketball team (23-3, 12-3 in Big Ten play) returns home Thursday night to Mackey Arena for a 7 PM ET tip on FS1 against the 14-11 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (6-8 in Big Ten play). A season ago, Rutgers won this matchup at Purdue while they were ranked #1, 65-64, and Rutgers has beaten Purdue once each season of Zach Edey’s famed Purdue career.
Rutgers is not up to the standard they have been the last three seasons and Purdue is in top form, but can the upset happen a fourth consecutive season? We answer that question and more in the contents below, as I deliver my official Rutgers vs. Purdue prediction, containing a pick on the Rutgers vs. Purdue spread, with Rutgers vs. Purdue betting odds and a $1,000 sign-up bonus courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
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RUTGERS VS. PURDUE PREDICTION: Rutgers +15.5 (-115 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
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Rutgers vs. Purdue Prediction for Today's College Basketball Game
On January 28th, Purdue escaped Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, New Jersey, 68-60, and Rutgers had cut the Purdue lead to two with less than five minutes to play. That eight-point win was the second-largest margin in the last six meetings between these teams - since Edey dawned the Purdue jersey. Purdue’s largest win in that span was by 12, two seasons ago.
Tonight, we have a spread of 15.5, which sits higher than any of those recent margins, and though it makes sense given it’s in West Lafayette and considering Purdue’s standing relative to Rutgers, we are not buying the blowout. Instead, my Rutgers vs. Purdue prediction caters toward a hard-fought lower-scoring affair, similar to the outcome a couple of weeks ago.
Rutgers has covered three straight spreads against Purdue and seven of the last eight. The one time in the last eight head-to-head meetings, it was a push. Rutgers games have only hit the over eight times this season, and the first meeting fell 14 points short, as the line was set at 142.
Rutgers vs. Purdue Picks & Best Bets Featuring Rutgers +15.5 (-115)
Edey may have dominated at Rutgers (26 points, 12 rebounds), but Purdue shot just 5/19 from deep against this tenacious, well-designed Steve Pikiell defense that ranks #2 nationally in overall efficiency, per KenPom. Purdue simultaneously plays with constant aggression and physicality yet rarely fouls opponents, bothering the play of nearly every one of Edey’s teammates.
Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer have made leaps and bounds as far as physical and mental maturation goes, as sophomores, and Lance Jones’ gritty veteran mentality has aided the backcourt play, but Rutgers still pressures unlike any other team, and it’s difficult for any guard to prepare for. Loyer is now 3-of-18 shooting against Rutgers, and Jones went 1-of-10 from the field in New Jersey. Even if Smith plays well, Rutgers’ perimeter defense takes away scoring options.
Not only does Rutgers possess one of the top defenses in the country, but Purdue prefers to play a deliberate, methodical pace on offense, and they take care of the ball well. In their home arena, they should find it a bit easier to avoid Rutgers’ chaos that forced 15 turnovers in the first meeting, leading to longer possessions and slowing down the game. For these reasons, one of my Rutgers vs. Purdue picks is Under 138.5 Total Points (-108 at DraftKings).
As far as the game goes, my Rutgers vs. Purdue prediction finds Purdue emerging victorious, but not before Rutgers pushes them to the brink yet again. While Rutgers may no longer have the likes of Caleb McConnell, Ron Harper Jr., Cam Spencer and Paul Mulcahy, underrated players like Mawot Mag, Aundre Hyatt and Cliff Omoruyi fuel the engine at the heart of a team that has found its groove in February.
Both teams are coming off road losses on Sunday, but Rutgers had won four straight before that, including a dismantling of then-ranked Wisconsin. Purdue, on the other hand, just lost to Ohio State, who was playing its first game after firing head coach Chris Holtmann and only defeated Minnesota by eight the game prior, despite trailing for a chunk of the game.
Minnesota seemed to lay a blueprint for attacking Purdue’s defense and stalling their offense just enough, and a well-coached team like Rutgers will build off the newfound holes in Purdue’s armor. Don’t overthink it; take Rutgers +15.5 (-115 at DraftKings) to finish off this Rutgers vs. Purdue prediction.
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Rutgers vs. Purdue Betting Odds, Lines & Spreads at DraftKings
DraftKings Sportsbook's Rutgers vs. Purdue odds are listed below:
- Point Spread: Rutgers +15.5 (-115) vs. Purdue -15.5 (-105)
- Money Line: Rutgers (+900) vs. Purdue (-1600)
- Game Total (Over/Under): Over 138.5 (-112) / Under 138.5 (-108)
A $115 bet in support of my pick on the Rutgers vs. Purdue spread, Rutgers +15.5 (-115 at DraftKings), profits $100 if Rutgers loses by 15 points or fewer. One of my other Rutgers vs. Purdue picks, Under 138.5 Total Points (-108), requires a $108 bet to profit $100 and cash if the two teams combine for 138 points or fewer. For example, a final score of Purdue 74 - Rutgers 64 hits both picks in my Rutgers vs. Purdue prediction.
Probable Lineups for Rutgers vs. Purdue Today, 2/22
Before tailing my Rutgers vs. Purdue prediction after SIGNING UP HERE with DraftKings, check out the probable lineups for tonight’s game:
Rutgers:
- Jeremiah Williams
- Derek Simpson
- Jamichael Davis
- Mawot Mag
- Cliff Omoruyi
Purdue:
- Braden Smith
- Fletcher Loyer
- Lance Jones
- Trey Kaufman-Renn
- Zach Edey
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