Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Purdue Boilermakers Picks, Predictions, Odds

The Purdue Boilermakers are still the No. 1 ranked team in the nation despite last weekend's loss to the Indiana Hoosiers. Purdue is 22-2 and 11-2 in one of the toughest conferences in the country, so the Boilermakers didn't drop in the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll. However, they can't lose to the Iowa Hawkeyes on Thursday night if they want to maintain that ranking. Iowa is 7-5 in games against Quad 1 opponents, and the Hawkeyes will be eager to knock off another big name.

On Thursday, February 9, 2023, the Iowa Hawkeyes will head east to take on the Purdue Boilermakers in Big Ten play. This game will be played at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Purdue Boilermakers Betting Prediction

Iowa has won three straight games coming into Thursday night's clash with Purdue. The Hawkeyes have been a consistently competitive team under head coach Fran McCaffery, but they haven't been great on the road.

Although, Iowa has road wins over Seton Hall and Rutgers, they have also lost four times, including to schools like Nebraska and Penn State. They are going to have a very difficult time stopping 7'4 Zach Edey considering he is seven inches bigger than anyone in Iowa's rotation. So, look for the Boilermakers to bounce back with a big win. Four of their six home wins in Big Ten play have been by double digits.

Score Prediction: Purdue 83, Iowa 68
Best Bet: Purdue -7.5 (-110)

Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Purdue Boilermakers Betting Odds

Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Purdue Boilermakers Betting Resources

Date: Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023
TV-Time: ESPN2, 7:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Mackey Arena
Location: West Lafayette, Indiana
Matchup
Expert Picks

Big Ten Tournament Odds

Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Purdue Boilermakers Betting Stats

Iowa Hawkeyes
SU: 15-8
ATS: 14-9
O/U: 14-9
PPG: 81.5
OPPG: 73.5

Purdue Boilermakers
SU: 22-2
ATS: 10-12-2
O/U: 10-14
PPG: 74
OPPG: 61.1

Straight Up (SU), Against the Spread (ATS), Over-Under (O/U)
Points Per Game (PPG), Opponents Points Per Game (OPPG)

Updated on 04/26/2024

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Iowa Hawkeyes Betting Analysis

Kris Murray is the leading scorer for Iowa, and he is one of the top scorers in the Big Ten. Murray is averaging 20.5 PPG (20th in the nation) to go with 8.5 RPG. He ranks in the top ten in most offensive categories in the conference, and he has the potential to be a lottery pick in this year's NBA Draft. His twin brother Keegan Murray has excelled in his rookie season, so NBA teams are taking note of the other Murray who is making over 50% of his field goals.

Fellow forward Filip Rebraca is the No. 2 scorer and rebounder on the Hawkeyes with 13.9 PPG and 8.2 RPG. Rebraca is making over 57% of his two-point field goals, so he is a big part of why Iowa is ranked No. 2 in offensive efficiency per Ken Pomeroy's numbers. This team doesn't turn the ball over, and there is fluid ball movement since there isn't a traditional point guard in McCaffery's offense.

Two of McCaffery's sons are in the rotation for the Hawkeyes. Connor McCaffrey has the most assists on the team while averaging 2.9 APG, while Patrick McCaffrey is one of five players averaging at least 10 PPG in this offense. Unfortunately, the latter McCaffrey has not been playing much since returning after taking a month off due to anxiety. In his three games since he came back into the lineup, he is averaging just 12 MPG.

Iowa will need the offense to perform well as this defense is mediocre at best. The Hawkeyes don't send opponents to the free throw line, but that's about all they do well when they don't have the ball. They don't force turnovers, and opponents shoot above the national average against this team.

Purdue Boilermakers Betting Analysis

Zach Edey is still the odds-on favorite per the college basketball odds to win the Naismith Award and the Wooden Award. Edey has been unstoppable in the low post this season as there aren't really any seven footers that have his athleticism. He is averaging 22.4 PPG and 13.2 RPG, and he is making almost 63% of his field goals and more than 73% of his free throws. His success at the foul line is huge considering he leads the country in offensive rebounding rate and is one of the most fouled players in the sport.

Fletcher Loyer is averaging 12.4 PPG as the leading backcourt scorer for Purdue. Loyer isn't too efficient, making 38.7% of his field goals and just over 35% of his threes, but he isn't afraid to fire away. Mason Gillis and Braden Smith are the best three-point shooters on the team, but neither player is hitting over 40% from downtown.

Purdue goes to the free throw line pretty often, and the Boilermakers largely take advantage of their freebies. The next three leading scorers behind Edey are making over 80% of their shots from the charity stripe. Additionally, Purdue ranks first in defensive free throw rate, as the Boilermakers don't really send opponents to the line. Those two factors will make them a very tough team to beat in March.