The No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers (21-2, 10-0 Big 10) will try to lengthen their 17-game winning streak against the Maryland Terrapins (15-8, 4-6 Big 10) at Mackey Arena. The game begins at 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 31, 2018.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 146.5 points with Purdue opening as a 14.5-point favorite.
Maryland Terrapins at Purdue Boilermakers Betting Prediction
The Terrapins are trying to rebound after their 74-68 loss to the No. 6 Michigan State Spartans in their last matchup. Michigan State’s rebounding was their largest strength. The Spartans had 19 offensive rebounds and 46 total rebounds, while the Terrapins had nine and 29, respectively. Maryland’s Anthony Cowan Jr. had a good outing, finishing with 12 points and nine assists.
The last time the Boilermakers played, they were victorious over the Indiana Hoosiers, 74-67. One of Purdue’s largest strengths was their ability to convert at the free throw line. They were 15-18 (83.3 percent), while the Hoosiers were just 10-17 (58.8 percent). Isaac Haas was the top scorer from either team with 26 points on 10-for-17 shooting.
From an effective field goal percentage perspective, this will be a matchup of two heavyweights. The elite Purdue offense ranks fifth in the NCAA in that metric at 0.595, while the top-notch Maryland defense is ranked 28th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.464). Moreover, the Terrapins, who rank 13th in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.305), will face off against the Boilermakers, who rank third in opponents’ FTA rate (0.155).
Maryland comes into the game with records of 15-8 straight up (SU) and 10-7-2 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when predicting totals of Terrapins games, with 9 unders compared to 8 overs.
Meanwhile, Purdue owns records of 21-2 SU and 14-8 ATS. Games including the Boilermakers have no tendency in regards to the total, as there has been an even split between games finishing over and under.
This will be the second game of the season between these two teams. Dakota Mathias put up 20 points, nine assists and five rebounds in the first matchup, in which the Boilermakers beat the Terrapins 80-75, covering as 3.5-point favorites. The game finished with a total of 155 points, which was 7 points above the projected point total of 148 points. Purdue had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.594 vs. 0.429). Maryland, meanwhile, had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (36.4 vs. 22.2).
Maryland Terrapins at Purdue Boilermakers ATS Pick
Free Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Purdue, ATS Winner – Maryland, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Maryland is 3-5 ATS with 4 overs and 4 unders.
Purdue is 8-4 ATS at home with 6 unders, 5 overs and 1 push.
Purdue ranks seventh in assists per game (18.3) while Maryland ranks 110th (14.5).
The Boilermakers rank 11th in blocks per game (5.8) while the Terrapins rank 111th in blocks allowed per game (3.6).
Purdue ranks 97th in three pointers attempted per game (23.5) while Maryland ranks 175th in three pointers allowed per game (22.7).
The Boilermakers rank 105th in steals per game (6.5) while the Terrapins rank 160th in steals allowed per game (7.1).
Maryland allows the 27th-fewest rebounds per game (31.2) while Purdue ranks 56th (32.4).
Betting Trends:
In their last five games, Maryland is 2-2-1 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
Purdue is 3-2 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over over their last five games.
The Terrapins have been outscored by an average of 4.2 points in their last five games. For the season, Maryland has defeated opponents by an average of 8.9 points.
During their last five games, the Boilermakers have scored an average of 82.4 points per game (2.2 below their season average) and allowed an average of 63.2 points per game (0.3 below their season average).
