Purdue Boilermakers vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Purdue vs Rutgers NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Piscataway.

Purdue vs Rutgers Prediction

Looking to win big? The Boilermakers and Scarlet Knights face off at 6:00 ET on FS1. The Scarlet Knights are hosting the game at Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway, NJ. Purdue is favored by -1.5 in this Big Ten conference contest against Rutgers. The game's over/under currently sits at 149.5 points.

Purdue vs. Rutgers Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Purdue Boilermakers at Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Where: Piscataway at Jersey Mike's Arena
Date: Thursday, January 9th
Betting Odds PUR -1.5, PUR -130 | RUTGER +107 O/U 149.5

Boilermakers Preview: Will the Boilermakers Pull Through as the Favored Road Team?

Purdue improved to 11-4 on the season with a 79-61 win over Northwestern on Sunday. The Boilermakers, who were favored by 6.5 points, covered the spread and the game’s total points of 140 exceeded the O/U line of 138.5.

Purdue dominated the first half, leading 41-18 at the break, but allowed 43 points in the second half while scoring 38.

Boilermakers Offense Breakdown

Purdue's offense put up 79 points in their last game, shooting 50.9% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 58.2%. They connected on 40% of their three-point attempts, going 8-for-20, and were strong from the free-throw line, hitting 15-of-18 for an 83.3% success rate.

Braden Smith led the way with 22 points and 7 assists, shooting 50% from the field and 37.5% from beyond the arc. Angelo Ciaravino added 19 points, hitting 3-of-7 from deep, while Trey Kaufman-Renn contributed 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting.

Boilermakers Team Defense

Despite Purdue's defensive struggles, they held their opponent to 61 points. The Boilermakers allowed a 50% shooting performance, with their opponent hitting 28 of 55 shots.

From beyond the arc, Purdue's opponent shot 40%, making 8 of 20 three-point attempts. Purdue also sent them to the line 18 times, where they converted 15 free throws for 83%.

Scarlet Knights Preview: Will Rutgers Pull Through as the Underdog Home Team?

Rutgers Scarlet Knights Recent Game/Games

Rutgers fell to 8-7 on the season after a 75-63 home loss to Wisconsin on Monday, January 6th. The Scarlet Knights entered the game as +1.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread.

Trailing 43-34 at halftime, Rutgers couldn’t close the gap in the second half, scoring 29 points while allowing 32. The game’s total points of 138 fell short of the O/U line of 157.

Scarlet Knights Offense Breakdown

In their latest game, Rutgers struggled offensively, shooting just 34.2% from the field and 26.9% from beyond the arc, finishing with 63 points. Their effective field goal percentage was 38.4%, and they hit only 46.2% of their free throws.

Steven Crowl stood out, shooting 72.7% overall and 66.7% from three, adding 10 rebounds and 3 assists. John Blackwell contributed 21 points, while Tyson Acuff hit 3 threes, finishing with 17 points.

Scarlet Knights Team Defense

Despite Rutgers holding their opponent to 34% shooting from the field, the Scarlet Knights still gave up 75 points. They allowed 18 two-point baskets on 47 attempts, a 38% shooting rate.

From beyond the arc, Rutgers' defense limited their opponent to 26% shooting, with 7 made threes on 26 attempts. They also sent their opponent to the line 13 times, where they made 6 free throws, shooting 46%.

Boilermakers vs Scarlet Knights Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last three road games, Purdue has averaged 74 points per game while allowing 67. The team's record in this stretch was 2-1 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
Through their last five home games, Rutgers has an ATS record of just 1-3-1. However, their overall record was 1-4 while averaging 78 points per game.
The last three games that Rutgers was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 0-3 while going 0-3 straight up.
Purdue has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 4-1 SU and 4-1 ATS in their last five games.