The Nebraska Cornhuskers (14-15) and the No. 15-ranked Purdue Boilermakers (22-7) wrap up the regular season when they battle at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The game gets underway at 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Mar. 1 and can be seen on BTN.
The Cornhuskers lost a close one to Penn State 56-55 the last time they played. Shavon Shields finished with 25 points to lead the game. The Boilermakers, meanwhile, are coming off an 83-79 win over Maryland in their last outing. A.J. Hammons led the team in scoring by posting 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting.
Points at the line might be difficult to come by for the Cornhuskers in this contest. They are 278th in the nation in FTA rate (32.9), while Purdue is among the nation’s least foul-prone teams (allowing a FTA rate of just 28.3, 30th in the country).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Boilermakers winning the first matchup 89-74. Hammons played a huge role in the victory by recording a double-double with 32 points and 11 rebounds.
The Cornhuskers are hoping to improve on their records of 14-15 Straight Up (SU) and 14-12 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 2-7-1 ATS.
Across the court, the Boilermakers have 22-7 SU and 13-11-1 ATS records. During the last 10 games, they averaged 67.8 PPG, below their 77.4 PPG season average. The Boilermakers convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking 40th in the nation at .738. Purdue is one of the better rebounding teams in Division I. The Boilermakers average 41.8 rebounds per game, making them the eighth-best team in the country for that category. The Boilermakers are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking 36th in Division I at 1.39. The Boilermakers are one of the top defensive teams in the nation, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of 64.5 points allowed per game. The Purdue defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only .389 shooting from the field to its opponents. They average 4.8 blocks per game, good for 43rd in the nation.
Purdue beat Nebraska in their most recent meeting this season, bringing its SU record in their most recent games to 6-2. Furthermore, with a 5-3 record, Purdue has the advantage ATS. Neither team held the edge in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers in a single game during this span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Purdue, ATS Winner – Purdue
Notes
Nebraska averages 72.2 points per game, placing the team just 160th in the nation. Purdue ranks 23rd in points allowed, giving up 64.5 points per game.
Nebraska scores just 73.5 points per home game (ranked 176th). Purdue ranks 15th in points allowed on the road, giving up 65.5 points.
The Purdue Boilermakers have a defensive rating of 95.0 (ranked 18th), while the Nebraska Cornhuskers have an offensive rating of 107.7 (ranked 127th).
With 67.1 possessions and 1.077 points per possession, the Nebraska Cornhuskers perform worse on both metrics than the Purdue Boilermakers. Purdue averages 68.1 possessions and 1.137 points per possession.
Purdue has an average effective field goal percentage of 52.7%. Nebraska is an underachieving 1-9 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers average 18.0 three point attempts per game and have a subpar 3-10 record when attempting at least 20 in a game. The Purdue Boilermakers average 21.0 attempts and have a solid 12-5 record when attempting 20 or more.
Purdue ranks 36th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.39. Nebraska is ranked lower at 209th with an A/TO of .99.
The Purdue Boilermakers average 41.8 rebounds per game and are ranked eighth. The Nebraska Cornhuskers average 35.7 rebounds per game, ranked 199th.
The Purdue Boilermakers rank 63rd in offensive rebounds. The Nebraska Cornhuskers rank 241st in the nation in defensive rebounds.
Nebraska averages a forced turnover rate of 20.0% this season. Purdue has a 7-5 record when it suffers a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this.
