In-state rivals the Purdue Boilermakers (8-5, 3-3 Big Ten) and Indiana Hoosiers (8-5, 3-3 Big Ten) in Big Ten Conference play. Purdue has won seven in a row against the Hoosiers, their longest winning since the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Thursday night’s tipoff is at 7 pm ET inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN. Indiana is a 3-point favorite in the rivalry showdown, according to oddsmakers.
What to Know – Purdue Boilermakers
Purdue enters Thursday night, playing their fourth road game in a row that included trips to Rutgers, Illinois, and Michigan State. The Boilermakers are coming off a road win against the Spartans that saw Purdue fight back from a 17-point deficit. A win against Indiana gives the Boilermakers a 2-2 record over the four-game road trip.
The Boilermakers average 70.3 points per game behind a balanced attack that features five players averaging at least 8.8 points. Forward Trevion Williams paces the offense pouring in 15.0 points per game. In conference road games on the road, Williams is shooting 61-percent from the field and averaging 18.8 ppg.
A pair of guards, Sasha Stefanovic (10.7 ppg) and Eric Hunter Jr. (10.3 ppg), are the two other starts who average in double figures for the Purdue offense. One of the younger teams in the Big Ten, Purdue features a pair of newcomers (Zach Eddy, Mason Gillis) who have seen their names as Big Ten Freshman of the Week this season.
What to Know – Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana has won three of their last four conference contests and is 5-1 at home this season. The Hoosiers are coming off a road trip of their own, splitting a pair of road contests at Wisconsin and Nebraska. Indiana took care of business against Nebraska on Sunday, leaving Lincoln with an 84-76 victory.
Forward Trayce Jackson-Davis ranks fifth in the Big Ten, scoring 20.1 points per game for a Hoosiers squad that averages 72.8 points per outing. Jackson-Davis knows how to get to the charity stripe, as he leads the nation in free throws made and attempted. A preseason All-Big Ten selection, Jackson-Davis has been named Big Ten Player of the Week twice this season.
Armaan Franklin (12.7 ppg) and Al Durham (11.1 ppg) are two guards that also average in double figures for Indiana. Durham has averaged 15.8 points per game over Indiana’s last four games behind a 38% clip from beyond the arc.
The Pick is In
Purdue has had Indiana’s number over the last handful of contests and could push their winning streak to eight games, one win shy of its longest streak against the Hoosiers. Indiana has fared much better at home than on the road, with their only home loss coming to Northwestern to open conference play.
If you follow the Big Ten closely, you know that these games typically are close throughout, and we expect this one to be the same. Indiana stays in front and pulls away in the final minutes to cover this one.
The Pick: Indiana -3
