The No. 8-ranked Michigan State Spartans (20-4) visit Purdue to take on the No. 18-ranked Boilermakers (19-5) in a matchup that pits the 34th-ranked offense against the 12th-ranked defense. The game begins at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 9 and will air on ESP and ES3.
The Boilermakers are hoping to rebound after their 72-61 loss to Maryland on Saturday. A.J. Hammons put in a solid effort despite the loss for Purdue, recording 18 points and 10 rebounds to earn his sixth double-double of the season. The Spartans, meanwhile, are coming off an 89-73 win over Michigan on Saturday. Bryn Forbes led the game in scoring by accounting for 29 points on 10-for-13 shooting.
Over the last five games, Hammons has really been playing well for the Boilermakers. During that stretch, he has averaged 18.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 2.0 blocks.
This matchup pits one of the nation’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses, as Purdue currently ranks 34th in offensive efficiency and Michigan State is 12th in defensive efficiency. Also, the Spartans’s eighth-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 118.3) will face off against the sixth-ranked defense of the Boilermakers (defensive efficiency of 91.7).
The Boilermakers come into this game 19-5 Straight Up (SU) and 12-8 Against The Spread (ATS). Purdue has been steady from the free throw line, shooting a stellar .746. Few teams in the nation have a higher assist-to-turnover ratio than Purdue, which ranks 24th at 1.45.
As for their opponent, the Spartans head into the game with records of 14-9 ATS and 20-4 SU. The Spartans are the best team in the country at finding the open man with an average of 20.3 assists per game. The Spartans average 62.9 points allowed per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 69.5 points per game during that span. The Michigan State defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only .282 shooting from three-point range.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time Purdue and Michigan State played, Michigan State won, moving its SU record against Purdue to 8-2 in their most recent head-to-head meetings. The Spartans also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 7-3. Michigan State topped the Boilermakers in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) three times over the last five matchups. Purdue has had the edge in all categories one time.
Predictions: SU Winner – MSU, ATS Winner – MSU
Notes
Purdue averages 78.3 points per game this season. Michigan State is one of the best teams in points allowed, giving up just 62.9 points per game (ranked 13th).
Purdue averages 81.5 points per home game (ranked 52nd). Michigan State allows 68.8 points per away game (ranked 41st).
Ranked 12th, the Michigan State Spartans have one of the top defenses in the country, giving up just 93.6 points per 100 possessions. The Purdue Boilermakers rank 34th in offense, scoring 113.9 points in the same number of possessions.
Purdue averages 68.8 possessions per game, scoring 1.139 points on each possession. While Michigan State averages fewer possessions per game with 67.1, they score more points per possession with 1.183.
Ranked 15th in the nation, Michigan State has an average effective field goal percentage of 55.8%. Purdue has not won a game this season when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage (0-2).
The Purdue Boilermakers average 22.0 three point attempts per game, and the Michigan State Spartans attempt 20.0 per game. When going for at least 20 three pointers in a game this season, both teams have winning records; Purdue is 12-5 and Michigan State is 15-1.
Michigan State ranks among the best in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.66 (ranked fourth). Purdue is ranked in the top 25 at 24th with an A/TO of 1.45 this season.
The Purdue Boilermakers rebound 42.5 times per game and are ranked fifth. The Michigan State Spartans rebound 42.8 times per game, ranked third.
The Michigan State Spartans rank 76th in offensive rebounds, and the Purdue Boilermakers rank second in the nation in defensive rebounds.
On average, Purdue forces a turnover rate of 15.2%. When Michigan State turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a dazzling 14-3 record.
