Can Undersized FDU Slow Down Edey?
Fairleigh Dickinson had an impressive showing in its NCAA Tournament opener, topping SWAC champion Texas Southern in a play-in game for the second time in the last four tournaments. Now things get a little more challenging against top-seeded Purdue.
The Knights’ tallest starter is 6-foot-6 Ansley Almonor and that is just one reason why the college basketball picks have FDU as a 23-point underdog, the second-highest number among the first round games in the March Madness bracket.
It is safe to say that matching up with Purdue’s 7-foot-4 national player of the year front-runner, Zach Edey, will be rather challenging.
Four years ago the Knights lost 87-49 to No. 1 seed Gonzaga after winning their First Four game. Will Purdue put up a similar margin of victory?
When it comes to the college basketball news, Purdue has been fortunate when it comes to injuries all season long. Among the nine players to average at least 10 minutes per game, those players have missed a total of five games.
Purdue is third in both the coaches’ poll and the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
According to the odds to win March Madness, Purdue (+1200) is tied for third in the odds to win the national championship. Fairleigh Dickinson is well back at +100000.
Dialing Long Distance
Fairleigh Dickinson shot its way into a matchup with top-seeded Purdue.
The Knights outscored Texas Southern 33-3 at the 3-point line in Wednesday’s 84-61 win as the March Madness field got down to 64 teams.
Almonor led the way as he was 5 of 8 from distance and scored 23 points in the victory in the play-in game. That was two points shy of his season high.
2:50 2H | IS THAT THE DAGGER?
ANSL33333Y STRIKES AGAIN! @ansleyalmonor
#16 #FDU 80, #16 Texas Southern 57
— FDU Men’s Basketball (@FDUKnightsMBB) March 16, 2023
Demetre Roberts has scored in double figures in all four postseason games after putting up 15. He has 21 assists and eight turnovers in the four games and that will be crucial heading into Friday’s matchup with the Big Ten champions. Roberts is just a year removed from leading St. Thomas Aquinas to the East Region final in the 2022 NCAA DIvision II tournament.
Fairleigh Dickinson has covered against the college basketball lines in four of its last five games.
Big Man Ready to Go
The last time Purdue took to the court in the NCAA Tournament, the outcome was one of the stunning results in the 2022 March Madness bracket.
No. 15 seed St. Peter’s came away with the 67-64 win. It was just the second time a No. 15 seed won in the last five tournaments.
Purdue’s Edey was on the court for just 17 minutes in the game despite not picking up any fouls. Expect to see much more of the player who is listed by the sportsbook as the favorite to win the national player of the year awards.
Edey finished with 62 points and 27 rebounds in wins over Ohio State and Purdue in the final two games of the Big Ten tournament and it won’t be a surprise to see more huge numbers on Friday.
While it shouldn’t matter on Friday, Purdue will need more from Edey’s supporting cast as the tournament moves along.
Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Brandon Newman were a combined 2 of 20 from the field and 1 of 10 on 3-pointers against Penn State in the Big Ten title game.
Purdue has covered against the NCAA basketball odds in just its last one of its last six games.
Purdue vs FDU Game Injuries
Purdue vs FDU Head-to-Head
Fairleigh Dickinson is 2-25 against teams currently in the Big Ten and that includes a 94-79 loss to Purdue in the first round of the 1988 NCAA Tournament. The Knights have dropped 10 straight games to Big Ten teams.
The last time Purdue faced a No. 16 seed, the Boilermakers escaped with a 73-71 win over Western Carolina in 1996.
FDU did cover the last time meeting a No. 1 seed from the Big Ten, falling to Illinois 67-55 in 2005 as a 26-point underdog.
Purdue vs FDU Game Information
- Game: Fairleigh Dickinson (20-15, 10-6 NEC) vs Purdue (29-5, 15-5 Big Ten)
- Location: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
- Day/Time: Friday, March 17, 6:50 p.m. ET
- Purdue vs FDU Live Stream: TBS.com
Purdue vs FDU Betting Lines
Purdue vs FDU Picks and Prediction
Purdue leads the country in rebounding margin while FDU struggled to win the rebounding battle in the NEC. The Knights also rank 359 out of 363 Division I teams in adjusted defensive efficiency according to the Pomeroy college basketball ratings database.
Don’t expect a repeat of what happened the last time Purdue met a team from a mid-major in the tri-state area during the NCAA Tournament. The Boilermakers will be much more zoned in for this matchup.
Purdue has failed to cover in each of the last four games when favored by at least 20 points. FDU has covered in five of the last eight matchups when listed by the Las Vegas odds as a double-digit underdog.
Purdue is only 13-19-2 against the spread, the worst mark among Big Ten teams in the NCAA Tournament. Fairleigh Dickinson is 14-18-1 against the spread.
The Boilermakers are 26-3 when listed by the sportsbook as the favorite. FDU is 6-8 as the underdog.
Purdue vs FDU Trends
Purdue vs FDU Edge
Purdue vs FDU Results
Purdue vs FDU Game Summary
