Big Ten Quarterfinals: Purdue vs. Rutgers Picks, Predictions, Odds

The Big Ten seems likely to send more teams to the Big Dance than any other conference. Seven teams feel good about their chances to make the NCAA Tournament, while Penn State and Rutgers are both currently slotted in the "Last Four In" on ESPN's Bracketology.

That doesn't leave the Rutgers Scarlet Knights feeling warm and fuzzy about their chances, but they can remove all doubt if they upset the Purdue Boilermakers on Friday afternoon. Purdue has been the best team in the Big Ten all year, and the Boilermakers are gunning for a No. 1 seed in March Madness.

On Friday, March 10, 2023, the Big Ten Quarterfinals will get underway from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Purdue Boilermakers and Rutgers Scarlet Knights are going to start things off at 12 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Purdue Boilermakers Betting Prediction

There's reason for Rutgers to feel confident ahead of this game. The Scarlet Knights were the first team to beat Purdue this season, and they were the only team to beat them for almost three months.

Purdue was 22-1 at one point, and that lone loss was to Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights already have five Quad 1 wins this season (three on the road), and they are a solid pick as Rutgers has a lot of big bodies to throw at Zach Edey.

Best Bet: Rutgers +6.5
Score Prediction: Purdue 68, Rutgers 65

Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Purdue Boilermakers Betting Odds

Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Purdue Boilermakers Betting Resources

Date: Friday, Mar. 10, 2023
TV-Time: BTN, 12:00 p.m. ET
Venue: United Center
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Matchup
Expert Picks

Big Ten Tournament Odds

Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. Purdue Boilermakers Betting Stats

Rutgers Scarlet Knights
SU: 19-13
ATS: 18-13-1
O/U: 12-20
PPG: 68.2
OPPG: 60.4

Purdue Boilermakers
SU: 26-5
ATS: 12-17-2
O/U: 13-17-1
PPG: 73.2
OPPG: 62.5

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

Rutgers Scarlet Knights Betting Analysis

The Scarlet Knights have the third-best defense in the country according to Ken Pomeroy. Rutgers ranks 14th in effective field goal percentage on defense, and opponents are making just 30.4% of their threes against this team. Center Clifford Omoruyi is one of the best interior defenders in the nation, as he ranks in the top 20 in block percentage, and both Caleb McConnell and Cam Spencer rank in the top 40 in steal rate per Pomeroy's numbers.

Omoruyi is a big body that can do a decent job against Edey, and he is averaging 13.3 PPG and 9.8 RPG. Unfortunately, he isn't a great free throw shooter as he draws a lot of contact. Spencer is a great three-point shooter, as he is making 42.7% of his treys, while Paul Mulcahy is the X-Factor in this game.

Mulcahy was awesome in the previous game against Purdue. He stuffed the stat sheet and led Rutgers with 16 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and four steals. However, Mulcahy has issues with foul trouble, and he has fouled out of three of his team's last eight games. The Scarlet Knights need him to stay on the court if they are going to beat the Boilermakers.

Purdue Boilermakers Betting Analysis

Zach Edey is probably going to sweep the National Player of the Year awards. Edey has been incredible for Purdue this season, proving that big men still have a place in college basketball even with multiple teams moving to four-guard lineups.

The 7'4 center ranks in the top eight nationally in points and rebounds with 21.9 PPG and 12.8 RPG, and he is making 61.1% of his field goals. Edey is a superb free throw shooter for a big man too, hitting 72.7% of his freebies. That's huge as it means he can stay on the court in end of game scenarios.

The concern for Purdue is its freshman guards. Fletcher Loyer got off to a strong start this season, but he has since been inconsistent. Loyer is the second leading scorer on the Boilermakers with 11.6 PPG, but he is now making just 37.8% of his field goals and 32.9% of his threes. His three-point shooting has taken a hit over the last two months, and he is fouling more too.

Loyer doesn't do much else, so it hurts Purdue when he isn't scoring consistently. Braden Smith has picked up some of the slack for Loyer. Smith is averaging 10.0 PPG with 4.3 RPG and 4.2 APG. He is the best long distance shooter on the team, knocking down 41.2% of his threes, but he is listed at 6'0 and is almost certainly shorter than that.

Purdue does a great job on the glass with Edey and Caleb Furst. They both rank in the top 50 in offensive rebounding percentage nationally, and that has the Boilermakers ranked second in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage. This defense is one of the best at preventing opponents from getting to the free throw line too.