Expert NCAAB Betting Preview & Prediction: Michigan vs. Purdue

Expert NCAAB Betting Preview & Prediction: Michigan vs. Purdue

Written by on January 23, 2018

Which team is the best in college basketball right now? In recent years, answering that question was usually quite straightforward, as we generally had one team that had separated themselves from the pack at this stage of the season. That question is a good deal harder to answer this season, though, as the teams who have made their way to the top have fallen again once they got there, which is why reading the NCAAB betting odds have gotten a little bit harder. We do have a few teams that are starting to put together a consistent run of form, with one of those teams being the Purdue Boilermakers. They have been on a tear of late, moving all the way up to number 3 in the nation in the process. They are in the very talented Big 10 Conference but are making it look easy in there so far, and you would certainly expect them to keep that run rolling on Thursday night when they host the Michigan Wolverines. Lesser teams have been wreaking havoc on higher ranked teams all season long, so is another College Basketball betting upset on the cards in this one?

Wolverines vs. Boilermakers Expert NCAAB Betting Preview & Prediction

  • When: Thursday, January 25 at 7 PM EST
  • Where: Mackey Arena, West Lafayette
  • TV: ESPN
  • Radio: 950 AM (Michigan) / 96.5 FM (Purdue)
  • Live Stream: Watch ESPN
  • NCAAB Betting Odds: TBA

Team Records

  • All: Michigan Wolverines 17-5 / Purdue Boilermakers 19-2
  • Home: Michigan Wolverines 13-1 / Purdue Boilermakers 12-1
  • Away: Michigan Wolverines 4-4 / Purdue Boilermakers 7-1
  • ATS: Michigan Wolverines 12-8-1 / Purdue Boilermakers 13-6
  • Over/Under: Michigan Wolverines 7-13 / Purdue Boilermakers 10-9

Why should Michigan be your NCAAB Betting Pick?

The Michigan Wolverines are rather quietly putting together a nice season, sitting at 17-5 and staying in the top 25 by the skin of their teeth. Michigan is currently 6-3 in conference play, which is actually not that bad when you consider the quality of the opposition in the Big 10. Michigan has a losing 1-2 record against ranked teams this season, but their lone win came just recently when they went on the road and took out the Michigan State Spartans, who were in the #4 spot at that time. This proves that Michigan is capable of beating the top teams, but the question still remains whether or not they can do so on a consistent basis. Averaging 74.5 PPG, Michigan is not going to win a lot of games based on pure offense alone, but their 62.5 PPG allowed this season is among the best in the nation. Michigan is 12-8-1 ATS and 8-13 O/U this season.

Team Statistics

  • Average Score For: 74.55
  • Offensive rebounds: 9.09
  • Offensive Field Goal Percentage: 47.13
  • Average Score Against: 62.50
  • Defensive rebounds: 24.36
  • Defensive Field Goal Percentage: 43.09

Why should Purdue be your NCAAB Betting Pick?

In the early part of the season, floating the idea that Purdue would be in the top 3 right now would have probably seen you laughed out of the room. After all, this was a team that lost back to back games to take their early record to just 4-2, but it is what they have done since those defeats that have a lot of people saying Purdue Boilermakers and the national championship in the same sentence. Purdue should be one of your NCAAB Betting Picks of the Week. Purdue is coming into this one on a 15-game winning streak, and they are putting teams away with relative ease. Following those two early losses, the Boilermakers delivered back to back wins over ranked opponents, and have simply not looked back since then. They are top 20 in points scored with 84.8 PPG and are top 10 in points allowed with 62.2 PPG. They are 14-6 ATS and 9-11 O/U this season and are also unbeaten in conference play.

Team Statistics

  • Average Score For: 84.76
  • Offensive rebounds: 9.43
  • Offensive Field Goal Percentage: 50.32
  • Average Score Against: 62.19
  • Defensive rebounds: 28.29
  • Defensive Field Goal Percentage: 37.72

Latest NCAAB Betting Trends

  • Purdue is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
  • Purdue is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
  • The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Purdue’s last 5 games
  • Michigan is 7-2-1 ATS in its last 10 games
  • Michigan is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
  • The total has gone OVER in 4 of Michigan’s last 6 games

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

It’s beginning to look as though Purdue might well be good enough to go unbeaten the rest of the way in the regular season, and while they may still take a loss, I don’t see it happening here. Score: Michigan Wolverines 62 – Purdue Boilermakers 76