The first-ranked team playing tonight is No. 5 Purdue, which hosts Iowa in a Big Ten matchup. The Boilermakers have started their Big Ten schedule at 5-0 and have a 15-1 record. Iowa is 12-4 overall and 2-3 in the Big Ten so far.
Check out my best bet for tonight’s Purdue vs. Iowa college basketball contest. Purdue is a -10.5-point favorite with the over/under being 144.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Iowa vs. Purdue (6:30 p.m. ET)
Purdue has won seven straight games since their second loss of the season on December 6. Braden Smith is Purdue’s leading scorer with 14.1 points per game, along with 9.8 assists, the most in college basketball. Smith has scored 26 and 23 points in his previous two games. Fletcher Loyer joins Smith in the backcourt, averaging 14 points per contest. Senior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn averages a double-double with 13.3 points and 10 boards.
On KenPom, Purdue is ranked fourth, while Iowa is 21st. The Boilermakers have the best offensive rating in the country, while the Hawkeyes have the 32nd. Iowa’s (19th) defensive rating is ranked one spot above Purdue’s (20th).
Iowa is coming off two losses to Minnesota and Illinois. In their last six games against an opponent from the Big Ten or Big 12, Iowa has only won two of them. Iowa is averaging 79.1 points per game this season and has scored 69, 67, and 74 points in its last three. They only have one player in double digits this season as Bennett Stirtz records 17.6 points. Stirtz is an elite guard but has lacked the necessary supporting cast to keep up with the elite teams.
Even though Purdue’s last two victories have been by eight points, their previous eight wins were by at least 11 points. Purdue hasn’t won three straight games this season by fewer than 11 points each. With Purdue’s veteran rotation, they should be able to not only beat Iowa but do so in impressive fashion.
