The Northwestern Wildcats (15-5) travel to face off against the Purdue Boilermakers (19-2) on Wednesday, January 31st. This game will be played at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette and televised on BTN. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 6:30 ET.
Northwestern Wildcats vs Purdue Boilermakers
The Northwestern Wildcats Are Coming Off A Win
Northwestern heads into this game with a 15-5 record, including a 5-3 mark in Big Ten play. On the road, the Wildcats are just 2-4, compared to a 12-1 record at home. They enter this game as 12.5-point underdogs, and they have gone 2-4 when listed as the underdog this season.
After defeating Ohio State 83-58 in their most recent game, Northwestern is now 10-2 in non-conference games this season. Over their last three road games, they have gone 1-2, and they are 2-3 over their last five.
Northwestern’s ATS record this season is 8-9-2, including a mark of 1-4-1 on the road. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Wildcats are 5-5 vs. the spread. On the road this year, Northwestern has gone 4-5-1 vs. the spread.
So far this season, the over/under record in Northwestern games is 12-7. The average over/under line in their games this year is 136.2 and the average score in their games is 140.2. Today’s over/under line of 143.5 is higher than the average over/under line in their games this year. Over their last three games, the over/under record is 3-0 and the average scoring total in those games is 156 points.
The Purdue Boilermakers Are Coming Off A Win
After winning their last game against Rutgers by a score of 68-60, the Boilermakers come into this game with a record of 19-2. They have won five straight games and have gone 8-2 in Big Ten play this season. Purdue has been dominant at home this year, going a perfect 13-0, and they have an average scoring margin of +22.2 points per game in those contests.
Overall, the Boilermakers have been favored in 20 of their 21 games, going 18-2 in those matchups. They have been even better at home, going 10-0 in their last 10 games at Mackey Arena. On the season, Purdue has gone 11-0 in non-conference games and 6-2 on the road, where they have a scoring margin of +6.2 points per game.
As the favorite, Purdue has gone 11-7-2 vs. the spread this season. Their home ATS mark is 8-4-1 and they are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games at Mackey Arena. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Boilermakers have a 5-5 ATS record.
This season, the over/under record for Purdue games is 14-7. So far, the average scoring total in their games is 153.7 points, which is five points higher than the average over/under line in their games of 148.7. In their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 with an average scoring total of 148 points.
Northwestern Offense Breakdown
Northwestern’s offense is coming off a strong performance vs. Ohio State, finishing the game with a total of 83 points. Their season average is now 74.4 points per game. The top scorer for the Wildcats was Boo Buie with 19 points, while Ryan Langborg also chipped in with 14 points.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boo Buie (G) | 18.5 | 3.5 | 5.2 |
| Brooks Barnhizer (G) | 14.7 | 6.5 | 2.9 |
| Ryan Langborg (G) | 11.4 | 3.1 | 2.4 |
Purdue Offense Breakdown
The Purdue offense is coming off a game in which they scored 68 points vs. Rutgers. Overall their field goal percentage was 48.9% while connecting on 5 threes. The top scorer for the Boilermakers was Zach Edey with 26 points, while Braden Smith also added 19 to the scoreboard.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zach Edey (C) | 23.0 | 11.4 | 1.6 |
| Braden Smith (G) | 12.1 | 5.5 | 7.0 |
| Lance Jones (G) | 12.1 | 2.9 | 2.6 |
Northwestern Team Defense
Coming into today’s game, the Northwestern defense is giving up an average of 68.2 points per contest. The Northwestern defense is coming off a game in which they gave up a total of 58 points and allowed Ohio State to connect on 10 threes.
Purdue Team Defense
At present, the Boilermakers’ defense is nationally ranked 103rd, allowing 68.8 points per game. Against Rutgers in their most recent game, the Purdue defense gave up a total of 60 points while allowing Rutgers to hit 37% of their shots.
Wildcats vs Boilermakers Trends
- Through their last three road contests, the Wildcats offense has averaged 69 points per game while allowing an average of 72. Northwestern posted an overall record of 1-2 while going 1-2 ATS.
- In their last three home games, Purdue has averaged 79 points per game while allowing 65. The team’s record in this stretch was 3-0 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
- The last ten games that Northwestern was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 5-5 while going 4-6 straight up.
- As the betting favorite, the Boilermakers have an ATS mark of just 5-5 in their last ten games. Purdue posted a straight up mark of 9-1 in these matchups.
Wildcats vs Boilermakers Prediction
When looking to get a point-spread pick down in this Boilermakers vs. Boilermakers game, our recommendation is to take the Boilermakers at -12.5. Despite our model showing the Boilermakers winning 75-69, we like Wildcats as our point-spread pick.
As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 143.5 and our model has the Wildcats and Boilermakers finishing with a combined 144 points. Our pick is to take the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:January 31, 2024 Northwestern Wildcats, Purdue Boilermakers