Despite massive expectations this summer, things haven’t looked great recently in West Lafayette. The Boilermakers got embarrassed on Saturday, losing 81-58 to Iowa State. Now, they’ll look to rebound with a victory against a Big Ten rival. Minnesota, 5-4, has been inconsistent at best this season. A loss to Santa Clara last Friday was followed up by a nine-point victory over Indiana. Earning a statement win on Wednesday would go a long way for the Golden Gophers.
Purdue enters this contest as 20.5-point favorites (-112) over Minnesota. The total is set at 142.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook. Here’s a college basketball pick, preview and prediction for Wednesday’s game between the Golden Gophers and the Boilermakers.
Minnesota vs. Purdue prediction, preview
In spite of Saturday’s debacle, there’s plenty to like about the Boilermakers. This is a deep, dangerous squad that has multiple ways to beat opposing defenses. Down low, Trey Kaufman-Renn remains one of the nation’s top centers. So far, he’s averaging 13.9 points and a conference-leading 10.7 rebounds per game. The big man forms a lethal combination with guards Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith. The former has posted 14.4 points and a 47% three-point percentage, best in the Big Ten. As for the latter, he’s racked up 13.1 points and 8.8 assists per game.
A well-balanced, three-headed monster on offense is enough to build a top-flight team. However, that’s doing a disservice to the rest of Purdue’s roster. Big men Oscar Cluff and Daniel Jacobsen have combined for 20.5 points, 13.6 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game. Backup guards C.J. Cox and Omer Mayer have also thrived in head coach Matt Painter’s rotation. With that being said, defense has been an issue for the Boilermakers. They have a defensive rating of 102.1, 161st in college basketball.
If the Golden Gophers are going to stay in this one, it’ll likely require plenty of scoring. That’s been an issue for Minnesota; the team is averaging the Big Ten’s third-fewest points per game (73.4). Granted, leading scorer Cade Tyson could pose problems for Purdue tonight. The senior is averaging 21.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while notching 53/37/81 shooting splits. Big man Jaylen Crocker-Johnson is a double-double threat (12.2 PPG, 8.9 REB). Guards Langston Reynolds and Isaac Asuma have combined for 20.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game. Still, this isn’t a very deep roster.
It’s not as if the Gophers are great on the other end of the floor. Their 102.2 defensive rating ranks 163rd in all of college basketball. However, Minnesota did put together its best performance of the season last week, a 73-64 victory over Indiana. In that contest, the Hoosiers only connected on eight of their 27 three-point attempts (30%). That’s a welcome change of pace for the Gophers, who have been vulnerable from beyond the arc. This season, Minnesota’s opponents are connecting on over 37% of their attempts from long distance.
Minnesota vs. Purdue pick, best bet
It’s difficult to imagine Purdue coming out flat two games in a row. This program was the preseason #1 for a reason – there’s a bevy of talent at Painter’s disposal. With that being said, the Boilermakers have shown a troubling lack of effort on defense. That could burn them, even against Minnesota. After all, Tyson alone could keep this one from becoming a blowout. Last season, Purdue only had two Big Ten wins by a margin of more than 20 points. This year’s group is better, but laughers are hard to come by in this conference. Expect the Gophers to keep things from getting out of hand.
