Purdue Boilermakers at Michigan Wolverines Game Preview, Odds, Picks & Predictions
Wolverines Need Big Win at Home
The Michigan Wolverines are running out of chances to string together a big winning streak and be a factor on the March Madness odds.
They are also running out of time in the attempt to get the kinds of wins that will make their mediocre NCAA Tournament resume look a lot better.
It is truly a must-win situation for coach Juwan Howard’s team when it hosts No. 3 Purdue on Thursday night. Let’s take a closer look at the NCAA odds and see what’s the best pick in the sportsbook.
Purdue at Michigan Game Information
- Game: Purdue (20-3) at Michigan (11-9)
- Location: Crisler Arena – Ann Arbor, MI
- Day/Time: Thursday, 9 p.m. ET
- Television: ESPN
Purdue Hopes to Keep Chugging Along
The Purdue Boilermakers have been taking care of business lately in the Big Ten. They wobbled earlier in the Big Ten Conference season, losing at home to Wisconsin and at Indiana. Back in December, they lost to Rutgers.
Purdue looked like a team that would fall well short of its potential and fail to match the considerable preseason hype that greeted this group. The Boilermakers knew they were not playing up to their standards, and they chose to do something about it.
They extended their winning streak to six games against Illinois on Tuesday.
Purdue butters its bread on its size and toughness in the paint. Zach Edey is a load to handle inside, and what helps make him better is the fact that he has a lot of good teammates who make sure the defense can’t sag into the paint to stop him.
Sasha Stefanovic and Jaden Ivey are skilled, versatile scorers who move the ball and create clean half-court sets, spacing the floor and keeping defenses honest.
Trevion Williams is a big man who comes off the bench and ensures Edey doesn’t have to carry the load himself.
Purdue might not have the best bench in the country, but it might have the best collection of six players. If that core six can play consistently, this team has a shot to make the Final Four.
Michigan Must Solve Multiple Puzzles
The Michigan Wolverines have not yet found a winning formula one year after making the Elite Eight and being a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Michigan has not found solutions at point guard or on the wings.
Too much of the offense and the team’s overall workload is shouldered by big man Hunter Dickinson. He’s a tremendous player, but he simply hasn’t gotten much help.
Michigan needs to figure out that problem, and the Wolverines must find ways to finish games against good teams. Beating Northwestern and Nebraska won’t get an 11-9 Michigan team to the NCAA Tournament.
Purdue at Michigan Head-To-Head
This is an interesting series as the underdog has actually fared well. The dog is 6-2-1 in the last nine meetings. The road team is also 3-0-1 in the last four meetings.
Taking a look at the straight-up numbers, though, this series has mostly been dominated by Michigan. The Boilermakers won the last meeting on Feb. 5 but that was their first win in six tries against the Wolverines. Three of the last four contests have gone over the number.
Purdue at Michigan Prediction
Beating Purdue here is a must, but after losing to the Boilermakers over the weekend, the Wolverines know this is their last chance to beat what could be the Big Ten’s best team.
If you bet online, go with Purdue. They don’t often win twice in this series, but it’ll happen this season.
Parlay: Purdue -165 and under 144½
Pick: Purdue -165
