Indiana State vs. Purdue Odds
| Indiana State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+26 -105 | 145.5 -115o / -105u | +1400 |
| Purdue Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-26 -115 | 145.5 -115o / -105u | -3300 |
It’s a big year for the heartland of basketball.
The Mike Woodson regime has officially begun at Indiana. Butler returns every player of significance from last year’s squad. Notre Dame is not far behind with four starters back and a crucial newcomer in center Paul Atkinson.
But the best hope to bring a title to the Crossroads is Purdue.
The Boilermakers are loaded and currently perched at seventh in the AP Poll. Matt Painter is one of those “star coaches who has yet to have his signature March run,” but he is plenty capable of taking these Boilers to new heights.
First Final Four since 1980? It’s in the realm of possibility.
Meanwhile, “little brother” Indiana State has hit the reset button, parting ways with Greg Lansing after a decade. The Sycamore administration yearned to hit a higher ceiling despite budget limitations.
Indiana State Sycamores
To attain those lofty goals, Indiana State plucked Josh Schertz from Division II Lincoln Memorial.
Schertz morphed the Railsplitters into a full-on powerhouse, tallying an insane 303-46 record over his final 11 years there. He won nine conference titles in an 11-year span while also making three D-II Final Fours. The accolades are certainly there, but will his success translate?
If it does, two transfers from Lincoln Memorial will play a big role. Versatile wings Xavier Bledson and Cameron Henry both followed their coach from LMU (as did a third, big man Simon Wilbar).
Both Bledson and Henry played massive roles in the season-opening win at Green Bay — Bledson did not leave the floor!
The Sycamores’ most important returner, super senior all-conference guard Tyreke Key, is out for the season with a shoulder injury. ISU managed to win at Green Bay without him, but his absence is a problem. An even larger burden now falls on Bledson and Henry as a result.
Of note: ISU sorely lacks size — the Sycamores mostly use a frontcourt of players standing 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-7.
Purdue Boilermakers
The aforementioned lack of ISU size is alarming against Purdue, one of the biggest teams in the entire country.
In the season opener, Painter trotted out 7-foot-3 Zach Edey and 6-foot-10 Caleb Furst in the starting lineup. That does not even count 6-foot-10, 270-pound wrecking ball Trevion Williams, an All-American candidate who is currently coming off the bench.
That group will batter the Sycamores inside, likely forcing double-teams. That is bad news for ISU since Williams is an elite passer.
Additionally, Purdue sports a deep collection of guards and wings led by lightning bolt Jaden Ivey. The electric athlete is perhaps the country’s premier breakout candidate.
For a team with tremendous execution and discipline, Ivey adds the “wow” factor that could elevate the Boilermakers to national contender status.
Indiana State vs. Purdue Betting Pick
Schertz brings an up-and-down style with him from LMU. Though depth concerns could limit that approach, expect a relatively up-and-down game here. That creates more opportunities for the talent gap to bear out, and the Boilers’ colossal size advantage should repeatedly show itself.
It may seem like a big number, but with a cascade of easy interior baskets and kick-out threes, Purdue should be able to score at will. So long as the Boilers get back in transition, this game should be on blowout alert.
I would take this up to Purdue -26.
