Purdue vs Michigan State Picks: Boilermakers (+3.5) Best Bet February 18

Two Big Ten teams trying to stay within striking distance of first place square off on Tuesday night when the No. 14 Michigan State Spartans play host to the No. 13 Purdue Boilermakers. Michigan State is sitting in second place in the Big Ten standings, a game behind first-place Michigan, and doesn’t want to lose any ground prior to a showdown with the Wolverines on Friday night.

Purdue is looking to snap a two-game losing skid, which has put it in third place in the conference, a half-game behind the Spartans.

The NCAAB futures odds for winning March Madness have both of these teams among the contenders, with the Boilermakers listed at +3000 and the Spartans +4500.

The BetUS Sportsbook odds for this game favor Michigan State by 3.5 points, with an outright win by the Spartans getting -160 odds. Taking Purdue on the moneyline would get you +138 odds. The over/under for the contest has been set at 148.5 points.

Here’s a closer look at this key conference clash, along with some college basketball picks for your wagering.

Purdue vs Michigan State How To Watch

• Game: Purdue (19-7, 11-4 Big Ten) vs Michigan State (20-5, 11-3)
• Date/Time: Tuesday, Feb. 18, 7:00 p.m. ET
• Location: Breslin Center, East Lansing, MI
• Purdue vs Michigan State Live Stream: Fubo.Tv

Monitor the latest college basketball news before betting on Tuesday’s tipoff.

3 Purdue vs Michigan State Bets You Should Be Making

1. Purdue (+3.5)

The Boilermakers’ two losses are going to have them playing with some urgency at a venue that isn’t going to be very friendly. And Purdue has potentially the two best players in the game in forward Trey Kaufman-Renn and guard Braden Smith.

Kaufman-Renn is the third-leading scorer in the conference at 19.4 points per game, shooting 60.9% from the floor. He won’t have a size advantage against the deep Michigan State front line, but he is active and should be able to use his speed to find a lot of open looks. He also needs to be active on the boards to keep the Spartans from dominating on the glass.

Smith is one of the better playmakers in the country, ranking second in assists per game at 8.8, per NCAAB betting trends. The junior can also burn a team with his long range game, as he scores 16.0 points per game and shoots 38.6% from 3-point range.

Goodness, Braden Smith.

Danny Wolf has a family. pic.twitter.com/J47vnGGDWu

— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) February 12, 2025

Smith’s biggest contribution may come on the defensive end, though, as he averages 2.4 steals per contest. The Spartans can struggle to hang onto the ball at times, and Purdue can get some easy baskets off turnovers if it can put some pressure on the Michigan State guards.

Purdue has plenty of firepower to stay with the Spartans, so we like the Boilermakers to at least keep this one close. One of the best college basketball bets you can make on this game is taking the points with Purdue.

Bet On Purdue (+3.5) vs Michigan State

2. Purdue vs Michigan State Over 148.5

We’ve talked about Purdue’s offensive stalwarts, but when it comes to Michigan State, it’s hard to single out one or two offensive forces. Tom Izzo’s squad is unique in that the Hall of Fame coach plays 10 players regularly and almost all of them have the ability to put up big scoring numbers on any given night.

Looking at the Purdue vs Michigan State stats, the Spartans have two double-digit scorers in guards Jaden Akins (13.2 points per game) and Jase Richardson (10.3) while 10 players are scoring at least five points a contest. Akins can be hot and cold while Richardson, a freshman, can get hot and really take over a game.

In the Spartans’ last win at home vs Oregon, he erupted for a career-high 29 points. Meanwhile, in Saturday’s win at Illinois, it was forward Jaxon Kohler leading the way with a career-best 23 points.

Purdue is going to have its hands full trying to shut down the Spartans, who love to get out on the fast break for easy buckets. Michigan State is sixth in the country in fast-break points at 16.96 per contest.

The offensive haymakers are going to be thrown by both teams in this one as they try to take control of what should be a close contest. With that in mind, we’re making our college basketball predictions include the total hitting over 148.5 points.

Bet On Purdue vs Michigan State Over 148.5

3. Purdue G Braden Smith Over 7.5 Assists

As we stated earlier, Smith is one of the top assist men in the country, and he usually comes up big in big games for the Boilermakers. He had 12 assists in a losing effort vs Wisconsin on Saturday and dished out 13 vs USC earlier this month.

While Smith might have trouble finding his own shot against Michigan State defenders like Tre Holloman and Jeremy Fears Jr., he’ll always have his eyes on his teammates to find them for open looks.

One of the better college basketball player props you can bet on in any Boilermakers game is Smith’s assists, and that’s the same in this one. Take the over for a winning wager.

Bet on Braden Smith Over 7.5 Assists (-104)

More College Basketball Picks and Best Bets For February 18

• Kansas vs BYU Prediction, Picks and Odds: Bet Cougars (-3) in Big 12
• Texas A&M vs Miss St. Prediction, Picks and Odds: Bet Road Dogs (+2.5)
• Illinois vs Wisconsin Prediction, Picks and Odds: Bet Badgers (-4) ATS on Feb 18

Question of the Day

Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.