Sweet 16 Game: Saint Peter’s vs Purdue | 2022 NCAA Basketball Tournament Betting Expert Analysis

No question the biggest story of the 2022 NCAA Tournament thus far has been little Saint Peter’s University as the No. 15 Peacocks are in the Sweet 16 for the first time. However, they are double-digit underdogs vs. No. 3 Purdue in East Region action on Friday.

How to Bet Saint Peter’s vs. Purdue NCAA Basketball Odds & TV Info

• When: Friday, 7:09 PM ET
• Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia
• TV: CBS
• Stream: https://www.ncaa.com/march-madness-live
• Radio: Tunein.com
• Opening NCAAB Lines: Purdue -12.5 (total 135)

Why Bet on Saint Peter’s?

Little Saint Peter’s is the first-ever MAAC school to reach the Sweet 16. It is located in Jersey City, NJ, and only has an enrollment of around 2,500. It is one of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States and the only one in New Jersey. t is a founding member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).

The Peacocks stunned Kentucky in Round 1 and then ended Murray State’s 21-game winning streak in Round 2, 70-60, to become the third 15 seed to advance to a regional semifinal, joining Oral Roberts last year and Florida Gulf Coast in 2013. Those other two teams lost in the Sweet 16.

SPU is led by coach Shaheen Holloway, a North Jersey hoops lifer who played at Seton Hall and apprenticed there as an assistant. Holloway is expected to take over as the new coach at Seton Hall with Kevin Willard leaving for Maryland. Holloway has been selected as a finalist for three national coaching awards this week.

SPU led wire-to-wire vs. Murray State, which had the nation’s longest winning streak. KC Ndefo, the three-time reigning MAAC Defensive Player of the Year, recorded 10 rebounds to go along with his 17 points to record his seventh career double-double while also adding six blocks to become the first player in program history to reach 300 career blocks.

The Peacocks allowed just 60 points against a team who came into the contest averaging over 80 points per game. With that, SPU has now held eight of its last nine opponents to under 70 points. The nine-game win streak is the longest for the Peacocks since winning nine straight in the 1994-95 season, one of just three other trips to the NCAA Tournament in program history.

Ndefo is the anchor of the Peacocks as he is averaging 10.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game this season. Daryl Banks III leads the Peacocks offensively overall on the season averaging 11.5 points per game this season. Banks has scored in double figures 19 times this season. SPU has one of the top defenses in the NCAA, leading the MAAC and ranking 21st in DI allowing just 62.3 points per game.

The Peacocks currently rank ninth in the country in field goal percentage defense, 14th in 3-point field goal percentage defense, 24th in scoring defense and 25th in blocked shots per game. The Peacocks have allowed under 70 points in 20 of their last 24 games and hold a 19-5 record this season when allowing less than 70.

Why Bet on Purdue?

Purdue (29-7) pulled away late to beat Texas 81-71 in Round 2. Purdue was clinging to a 74-71 lead when star Jaden Ivey made a move to get clear of UT’s Courtney Ramey before sinking a 3-pointer with 1:01 remaining. That started a 7-0 run to end the game. Ivey didn’t score in the first 16 minutes of the game and didn’t have a single basket in the first half. The Associated Press All-America second-team selection kept working and finished with 18 points.

“All game he was chirping, just trying to get me out of rhythm,” Ivey said. “I just stayed poised the whole game. That’s what it comes down to. People are going to try to get you out of rhythm and try to talk to you. You’ve just got to stay focused on the main goal, and I felt like I did that.”

Over the past 30 years, Ivey is one of eight underclassmen nationally with 600 points, 150 rebounds, 100 assists, 30 steals and 20 blocks in a season. He is one of four Big Ten players to do so. Ivey moved to 19th place on the school’s single-season scoring list (615 points).

Trevion Williams had 22 points, seven rebounds and two assists in the win. Zach Edey recorded his 11th double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Williams and Edey combined for 33 points and 17 rebounds while going 12-of-19 from the field.

Ivey, Williams and Edey are averaging a combined 43.4 points per game, accounting for 54.4 percent of Purdue’s points. The trio has each scored in double-figures in 16 of the 36 games.

Purdue is making its fourth Sweet 16 appearance in the last five tournaments, the third-most in the country (Gonzaga, Michigan – 5).  Purdue went 19 years between Elite 8 appearances (2000 to 2019). It is attempting to reach its second Elite 8 in the last three years. Iowa State (15-0), Purdue (13-0) and Minnesota (9-0) are the only undefeated teams nationally against non-conference opposition.

Purdue leads the all-time series with Saint Peter’s by a 1-0 advantage, defeating the Peacocks in the 2011 NCAA Tournament first round, 65-43. Purdue is 13-0 all-time against the current members of the MAAC.

Game Trends

• Peacocks are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games as an underdog.
• Peacocks are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
• Peacocks are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
• Boilermakers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 NCAA Tournament games.
• Boilermakers are 2-5-1 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
• Boilermakers are 2-6-2 ATS in their last 10 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.

Expert Prediction

• Purdue 73, Saint Peter’s 61

College Basketball Betting Center

---

Get your Updated NCAA Basketball Betting Odds here!