Arizona vs Purdue Odds
| Arizona Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -110 | 159.5 -115o / -105u | -125 |
| Purdue Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -110 | 159.5 -115o / -105u | +105 |
In what may be the game of the season, the Purdue Boilermakers and the Arizona Wildcats will meet in Indianapolis on Saturday. The top-ranked Wildcats will look to secure their title as the best team in college basketball, while the third-ranked Boilermakers are clawing back at the top spot.
Both teams are absolutely loaded — make no mistake, these are two of the very best in the sport. National Player of the Year favorite Zach Edey is a force unlike any other in college basketball, but he'll be tested against the strong Arizona frontcourt that features Oumar Ballo.
Both teams have great guard play, as Kylan Boswell and Caleb Love will look to win their matchups against Braden Smith, Lance Jones and Fletcher Loyer.
Purdue has established itself as one of the most elite programs in non-conference play, as Matt Painter has now won 32 consecutive non-conference regular season games going all the way back to 2021.
Both teams bowed out during March Madness in the first round last season, and both have made strong statements to begin this new campaign.
It'll be a highly entertaining game, so let's dive into the matchup and find some value.
Arizona Wildcats
Arizona has earned the No. 1 ranking in the polls with an impressive resume. It started with a win against Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium, where Love waved the Blue Devil fans goodbye for one last time. It continued with victories over Michigan State and Wisconsin weeks later.
There are questions about how good those three teams actually are, but there are no questions about Arizona's talent and depth.
The Wildcats play fast, dominate on the boards and shoot the ball extremely well. They're ranked in the top six in both Offensive and Defensive Efficiency. When the Wildcats' offense is hot, they score 100+. When they're cold, they score in the 80s.
They have perimeter stars in Boswell, Love and Pelle Larsson, and Keshad Johnson and Ballo give them toughness down low.
There's not much to pick at for Arizona, other than wanting to see it play a legitimate top-10 opponent.
Enter Purdue.
Purdue Boilermakers
Everything for Purdue starts with the best player in the country, Edey. Edey is the reigning National Player of the Year, and he's the favorite to win it again. His size and skill is a force the sport has never seen, and Painter has built an army to support his biggest strengths.
The most important player for Purdue in most games is actually Smith. When he's at his best, Purdue goes from great to unbeatable. Smith has taken a huge step forward this year, looking more comfortable hunting his own shot when teams go under on screens.
Smith can struggle at times with speed and physicality, so he'll be tested by the Arizona guards.
Painter also made some new additions to help the cause — Myles Colvin and Camden Heide, and freshmen wings that can knock down shots from outside.
Also, Lance Jones has been one of the more impactful transfers in the country. If Jones can make some shots from outside and stay out of foul trouble, Purdue will love its chances here.
Arizona vs. Purdue
Betting Pick & Prediction
With this game being played in Indianapolis, Purdue will have a heavy home court advantage.
After seeing the Boilermakers run through the Maui Invitational, it feels inevitable that this team will overcome any challenges they face in the non-conference.
I'm taking Purdue to cover.
Pick: Purdue -2
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