The Tennessee Volunteers and Purdue Boilermakers match up in Michigan for the second time this season on Sunday but this time, a trip to the Final Four is on the line.
Tennessee Volunteers vs. Purdue Boilermakers (-3.5, 148)
The first time these teams went at it, Purdue defeated Tennessee, 71-67, in the Maui Invitational on November 21, a game where both teams shot below 35.3% from the field and 26.8% from 3-point range.
While the overall shooting percentages should elevate in this game, the question becomes by how much, especially with Tennessee ranked eighth in the nation in fewest points allowed on a per-possession basis.
Tennessee is one of just five teams to hold Purdue to fewer than 72 points this season as the Boilermakers rank second in points scored per possession and their 41% 3-point shooting leads the nation.
The 3-point shooting percentage for Purdue decreases from 45% at home to 37.4% in road games — while also scoring 12.3 points per 100 possessions fewer when on the road.
On the defensive side of things, Purdue ranks 64th in the nation in points allowed on a per-possession basis and 39th in opponents’ 3-point shooting percentage at 31.4%, facing a Tennessee offense that has struggled to make 3’s in road games.
The Volunteers are shooting 32.2% from 3-point range in road games, ranking 222nd in the nation in 3-point shooting road game percentage but rank 37th in percentage of missed shots on the road that result in an offensive rebound at 31.7%.
Purdue allows teams to rebound just 22.7% of their missed shots, which is the 27th-best defensive rebound rate in the nation and with the Boilermakers averaging nearly 4.2 possessions per game fewer per game the past 12 games than in the first 24 games of the season, points will be at a premium on Sunday.
The Play: Tennessee vs. Purdue Under 148
See which team DraftKings bettors are backing.
