Iowa Hawkeyes vs Purdue Boilermakers Betting Preview
The Big Ten Conference Tournament title game features the fifth-seeded #24 Iowa Hawkeyes (25-9) against the three-seeded #9 Purdue Boilermakers (27-6).
Iowa has gotten here with victories over Northwestern, Rutgers, and Indiana, while the Boilermakers have wins over Penn State and Michigan State. During the regular season, Purdue beat Iowa, 83-73, in their lone matchup.
Sunday’s tip-off is a 3:30 p.m. EST inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. Purdue is a 2-point favorite, and the over-under is 149.5 points.
What to Know – #24 Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa looks like a team on a mission with a pair of double-digit victories to start the conference tournament and a comeback victory on Saturday. Iowa is 13th in the KenPom and 14th in the NCAA NET.
The Hawkeyes’ offense led the Big Ten averaging 84.0 points per game thanks to 46.5% shooting from the field and 37.1% shooting from deep. Iowa’s defense allowed 71.4 points per game, 13th in the conference, holding opponents to 43.8% shooting from the floor and 33.2% from three.
Jordan Bohannon banked in a deep 3-point attempt as time was running out to give Iowa an 80-77 advantage over the Hoosiers. The shot gave the Hawkeyes a birth in the title game and a chance to win the conference tourney for the first time since 2006. Keegan Murray stayed hot on offense, leading Iowa with 32 points.
The Hawkeyes are 21-13 ATS this season and 3-1 ATS on a neutral court. Iowa is 7-2 ATS over its last nine contests and 5-1 ATS against teams from the Big Ten.
What to Know – #9 Purdue Boilermakers
Purdue’s run during the Big Ten tournament might be good enough to bump the Boilermakers into a three or two-seed in the NCAA Tournament. Purdue Boilermakers are ranked 14th in the KenPom and 11th in the NCAA NET rankings.
On offense, Purdue is second in the Big Ten, scoring 80.2 points per game while hitting a conference-best 49.4% of its shots from the floor and 39.5% of its shots from the 3-point line. The Boilermakers’ defense was eighth in the conference, holding opponents to 68.6 points per game, 42.7% shooting from the field, and 33.6% from the arc.
The Boilermakers held off a late surge by the Michigan State Spartans to advance to the conference title in a 75-70 victory Saturday night in the semifinals. Purdue returns to the title game for the first time since 2018. Jaden Ivey paced Purdue on offense with 22 points.
Purdue is 13-19-1 ATS and 3-6-1 ATS playing at a neutral location. The Boilermakers are 0-6 ATS over their previous six games.
The Pick is In
The top two offenses in the Big Ten go toe-to-toe for all the marbles in the final basketball game before the start of the NCAA Tournament.
Purdue didn’t begin play until Friday while the Hawkeyes are playing their fourth game in as many days. The Boilermakers take advantage in the second half of Iowa’s fatigue and pull away for the title.
Betting Pick: Purdue Boilermakers -2
