The Purdue Boilermakers take on the Michigan State Spartans in the fifth round of the Big 10 tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The game gets underway at 3:00 pm ET on Sunday, Mar. 13 and will air on CBS.
The Spartans edged Maryland 64-61 in the 4. With 18 points and 10 assists, Denzel Valentine recorded his 10th double-double this season. The Boilermakers, meanwhile, are coming off a 76-59 win over Michigan in the 4. A.J. Hammons had a good game, recording 27 points and 11 rebounds to claim his ninth double-double of the season.
Hammons has been on fire over the last five games for the Boilermakers, averaging 17.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.0 assist, and 2.0 blocks.
The game should be a battle of strength against strength, as the high-powered offense of Michigan State (fourth in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 119.6) takes on the top-notch defense of Purdue (eighth in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 95.4). Also, the Boilermakers’s 18th-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 115.6) will face off against the seventh-ranked defense of the Spartans (defensive efficiency of 95.0).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Boilermakers won the first game 76-59. Hammons played a big role with 27 points and 11 rebounds.
The Spartans look to build on their records of 28-5 Straight Up (SU) and 22-10 Against The Spread (ATS). The Spartans, sporting the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio in Division I (1.74), have proven themselves to be an extremely efficient offensive team.
Across the court, Purdue has a SU record of 26-7 and an ATS record of 17-11-1. Purdue has done particularly well ATS over its past 10 matchups, going 9-1. Purdue is one of the top foul-shooting teams in the nation, converting .740 of their shots from the line. The Boilermakers rarely make costly errors handling the ball. They have the 17th-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the country at 1.47.
Purdue won the last meeting this season between these two teams, but Michigan State still leads the head-to-head record, 7-3 SU, over their most recent matchups. The Spartans also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 7-3. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, Michigan State held the edge in all three of these categories three times in the last five meetings. Purdue did so once.
Predictions: SU Winner – MSU, ATS Winner – MSU
Notes
The Michigan State Spartans have the fourth-best offensive rating in the nation (119.6). The Purdue Boilermakers have a top-tier defense with a defensive rating of 95.4 (ranked eighth).
The Purdue Boilermakers average 67.7 possessions per game and 1.156 points per possession. The Michigan State Spartans earn fewer possessions with 67.0, but they score more points with 1.196.
Michigan State is ranked ninth in the nation with an average effective field goal percentage of 56.3%. Purdue has not won a game this season when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage (0-3).
Among all teams in the nation, Michigan State is tops in assists, registering an average of 20.7 per game. Purdue ranks slightly lower in total assists at fifth (17.8 per game).
Michigan State, the 24th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 5.2 per game. Purdue ranks 44th with 4.7.
Purdue is one of the top defensive rebounding teams, ranking second. Michigan State ranks 63rd in offensive rebounding.
The Michigan State Spartans make an average of 4.5 steals per game. When the Purdue Boilermakers allow 4 or more steals, they are a solid 20-7.
