Utah State Can Stick Around Against Purdue
Utah State vs Purdue Lines & Trends Point to The Over
The Purdue Boilermakers aren’t out of the NCAA Tournament bracket heading into their second game. While this isn’t shocking, last year, the Boilermakers were upset by Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round and didn’t make it past the first day of college basketball games as a No. 1 seed.
After a 78-50 win over Grambling State, Purdue looks much more comfortable and confident in the NCAA Tournament. They’ve been waiting an entire year to get back to the tournament to prove themselves again.
They’ll take on the Utah State Aggies, who are just one of two Mountain West teams to survive the Round of 64. Utah State dominated TCU, 88-72, to earn this matchup against Purdue.
Once this NCAAB matchup was matched up, Purdue was listed as a -10.5 favorite with the total at 148.5. Nothing has changed much since then, except for the fact that Purdue is currently -115 as the 10.5-point favorite. That’s good info to know before you make your NCAA basketball picks.
Let’s dive deeper into the Utah State vs Purdue lines for this second-round matchup in the Midwest Region.
NCAA Second Round: Midwest Region
Utah State Aggies vs Purdue Boilermakers
Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Day/Time:
Streaming: CBS
Utah State vs Purdue Lines & Trends
The Purdue Boilermakers have been profitable against the spread this college basketball season. Purdue has gone 18-15-1 against the spread and has won 30 of 34 games straight up this season. Although Purdue has one of the best defensive NCAAB players in the nation, Zach Edey, the Boilermakers still hit the Over in 22 of 34 games this year.
Utah State has hit the Over in 20 of 32 games this season. The Aggies have also gone 15-14-3 against the spread this year.
The last time Purdue and Utah State played was back on November 22, 2016:
- Purdue was a 12-point favorite.
- The total was set at 144
- The game went Over
- Purdue covered the 12-point spread with an 85-64 victory.
Utah State’s Tournament Drought is Over
The Utah State Aggies added their first win in the NCAA Tournament since 2001. It ended a ten-game losing streak in the NCAA Tournament.
While the drought was long and harsh, many college basketball teams never even get to experience March Madness. Utah State has made getting into the Tournament an expectation. Finally, the Aggies got a win.
To get the win:
- Utah State shot 55 percent from the field in the second half.
- Darius Brown II finished with a double-double with 10 points and ten assists.
- The 88-72 win was the largest margin of victory in program history in the NCAA Tournament.
Now that the drought is over, we’ll see if Utah State continues to play loose in its NCAAB matchup against Purdue.
Purdue Took Weight Off Its Shoulders
With many fans considering Purdue to lose to a No. 1 seed for the second consecutive NCAAB season, the Boilermakers proved the doubters wrong with a 28-point win over Grambling State.
The star center for Purdue, Zach Edey, acknowledged it. He wanted people to know that the college basketball team that lost last year isn’t who they are. He doesn’t want Purdue to be defined by that loss.
After adding a high-margin win over Grambling State, Purdue can get back to business as some weight has been lifted off its shoulders. Purdue won’t look past any opponent now. But you can bet they’re relieved by getting that win over Grambling State.
Two Really Good Offenses
The Purdue Boilermakers are the No. 4 offense in the nation, according to KenPom. While Utah State defends the three very well, the Aggies have struggled to protect inside the arc.
That’s not ideal against Purdue. Edey and the Boilermakers have shot 53.2% from inside the arc, while Utah State has allowed 52.6% from two-point range this season.
Purdue should have plenty of success around the rim against Utah State.
In addition to two-point shooting, the Boilermakers are terrific on the offensive glass and get to the foul line at a very high rate.
Teams Analysis:
- Turnovers for Utah: The Aggies have added only 16.5% of turnovers per game this NCAA season.
- Utah State has only hit 32.4% from long range.
- The Aggies have still managed to shoot 57.3% from inside.
- Purdue had the tallest player in college basketball
- The Boilermakers have still allowed teams to shoot 47.8% from inside the arc.
While that’s a good number, it’s not an outstanding number.
Utah State won’t win the rebounding battle. However, the Aggies are also good at getting to the foul line.
The Aggies move at a faster pace and still protect the ball. If Utah State can find ways to get to the line and continue their averages from the field, the Aggies should at least stick around with Purdue to help the Over hit.
There will be plenty of intriguing college basketball scores today. The madness has been nuts so far. That said, after reviewing the Utah State vs Purdue lines, we expect a high-scoring game between the Aggies and Purdue.
