The Ohio State Buckeyes host the No. 8 Purdue Boilermakers on Sunday afternoon in a Big Ten college basketball matchup. The game tips off at 1:30 p.m. ET in Columbus, Ohio.
The Boilermakers are listed as 5.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at O/U 150.5 points. Below is my full preview, prediction and pick for this Big Ten college basketball matchup.
Ohio State vs. Purdue prediction, preview
The Purdue Boilermakers are the No. 8 team in the country and destined for a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Boilermakers are currently projected to land on the 2-seed line. Purdue is among the jumbled five elite teams in the Big Ten. It sits alongside Michigan, Michigan State, Illinois and Nebraska, with all five teams ranked inside the top 13 in the latest AP Poll. Purdue doesn’t have any of those top teams left on its schedule.
The Boilermakers have their eyes set on getting to a Final Four. They are led by veteran guards Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer, both of whom were key figures on the Purdue team that made the national title game in 2024. The only concern around Purdue is that it has beaten up on all of the lesser teams in the Big Ten, but struggled against the elites. Against those other four elite Big Ten teams, Purdue has a record of 1-3 this season, with the lone win coming in overtime against Nebraska.
Ohio State is currently the third team out of the NCAA Tournament field in Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology. The Buckeyes are firmly on the bubble, and a signature win over Purdue would almost certainly push them into the tournament field. Purdue is the final ranked team on Ohio State’s schedule. Therefore, this is the Buckeyes’ last chance to prove themselves before the Big Ten tournament. Ohio State can be dangerous because of its efficiency on the offensive end. The Buckeyes like to play slow, so they don’t put up huge scoring figures, but they rank 30th in the nation in offensive rating. Senior guard Bruce Thornton leads the way for Ohio State, averaging 20 points per game this season.
Ohio State vs. Purdue pick
My best bet for this game is for Ohio State to cover as 5.5-point underdogs. Both of these teams like to play at a very methodical pace. Purdue ranks 295th in the nation in adjusted tempo, while Ohio State ranks 235th. Against certain opponents, Ohio State will have to speed up and can’t play its preferred style. However, against Purdue, the Buckeyes will be comfortable in the halfcourt. That is why Ohio State struggled so much in both matchups against Michigan, because the Wolverines rank 15th in the country in adjusted tempo. However, Michigan is on another level than Purdue. The Boilermakers also lost to Michigan by double digits.
Against other ranked teams besides Michigan, Ohio State has performed well. This season, the Buckeyes lost to Illinois by eight points, UNC by one point, Nebraska by three points and Virginia by four points. They have been knocking on the door of a big upset, but have not been able to pull one off. Purdue is always susceptible to upsets because of its style of play. The Boilermakers are coming off an emotionally and physically exhausting Thursday night game against Michigan State. They could be a bit sluggish in this road spot, while Ohio State will be giving an all-out effort in front of a good home crowd. The Buckeyes are desperate for a win to get into the March Madness field, and they should at least keep it within the number here.
