Purdue is hosting No. 2 Indiana on Friday night of Week 14. The game will take place at 7:30 p.m. ET in West Lafayette, Indiana.
The Hoosiers are 28.5-point road favorites in this game on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the game’s total set at 53.5 points. This is a preview, prediction, and pick for this Big Ten rivalry matchup.
Indiana vs. Purdue Preview
Indiana Preview
The Hoosiers have had a remarkable season. With a win over Purdue, they will make the Big Ten Championship Game in Curt Cignetti’s second season. Even if they lose to Ohio State in that conference title game, they would likely get a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. Indiana took that special College Football Playoff team from last season, and has taken things to the next level. Fernando Mendoza is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy and for good reason. The defense has also seen significant improvement to allow it to compete against the nation’s top teams. Last season, Indiana needed style points to ensure a playoff spot at this point in the season. Now, they control their own path to be the top seed in the CFP.
Purdue Preview
It has been another rough season for Purdue. Ryan Walters’ team failed to win a conference game last season, and unless they beat Indiana, it will be two straight seasons without a Big Ten win. While they are likely to go winless in conference again, the team is much more competitive. Last season, they were consistently getting blown out by Big Ten competition. This season, they played one-score games against Michigan, Minnesota and Rutgers. The Boilermakers should try to finish the season strong by playing a competitive game against their arch-rivals.
Indiana vs. Purdue Pick, Best Bet
My best bet for this game is for Purdue to cover as four-touchdown underdogs. Last season, Indiana blew out Purdue in this game. However, Indiana needed style points to ensure its playoff spot. Also, this Purdue team got blown out by not just Indiana, but Penn State, Ohio State, Oregon, Notre Dame and Wisconsin, as well. It was simply not a competitive Big Ten team. This season, the Boilermakers almost pulled off a couple of upsets against Michigan, Minnesota and Rutgers, plus they kept it within two scores against USC and Illinois. Even against elite competition like Ohio State and Notre Dame, they kept the game within 28 points. Indiana has no reason to try to run up the score with the Big Ten Championship Game on the horizon. Indiana should comfortably win the game, but Purdue has enough talent to keep the game within four touchdowns.
