The Purdue Boilermakers will happily host the worst team in the Big Ten East in Week 12, the Northwestern Wildcats. Despite giving Ohio State a scare two weeks ago, Northwestern is a terrible team that hasn’t won a game since Week 1. After a 5-2 start, Purdue stumbled a bit and lost two of their last three games. But the Boilermakers beat No. 21 Illinois in Week 11 and No. 21 Maryland in Week 5. Northwestern should be no trouble for the Boilermakers.
Let’s check the latest college football odds, stats, injury reports and college football lines for Northwestern vs Purdue. We’ve plenty of NCAA football odds for you to consider.
Northwestern on 0-9 Slide
There isn’t much to dive into here. The Wildcats are 1-9 overall, 1-6 in Big Ten play, and are one of the worst teams against the spread in the conference. A case could be made that their 3-3 ATS record in the last six weeks shows signs of improvement. But, after getting crushed by Minnesota as 17-point underdogs, any momentum they may have had evaporated.
As if things weren’t going bad already, we haven’t even touched on the offensive injuries the Wildcats are dealing with.
Starting quarterback Ryan Helsinki exited in Week 11 with a leg injury and is listed as questionable for Saturday. Brendan Sullivan entered in relief but managed just 94 yards passing before leaving with a leg injury. Enter third-string QB Carl Richardson, who went 2-for-7 with an interception.
Northwestern’s offense averages just 14.3 points. Imagine how bad things are going to get if Richardson has to start this game. If he does, Purdue could win by 30.
Purdue Inching Toward Big Ten Title Game
Despite an unimpressive 6-4 record and 4-3 in conference play, the Boilermakers are tied for the West division lead with Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota. Purdue holds the tiebreaker against Illinois and Minnesota but needs Iowa to lose a game.
Northwestern is the perfect team to draw for a “must-win” game, and Purdue could roll on Saturday. The Boilermakers average nearly double the points that Northwestern does on offense and have one of the better passing attacks in the division.
Purdue also secured an impressive bounce-back win after losing back-to-back games with a win over ranked Illinois.
Purdue’s defense needs some work, but a strong breeze could stop the Wildcats’ offense. With so much more to play for, Purdue could blow the doors off Northwestern on Saturday.
Northwestern vs Purdue Game Injuries
Northwestern vs Purdue Head-to-Head
In the last 10 meetings between these Big Ten rivals, Northwestern holds a 7-3 lead over Purdue. Purdue won last season 32-14, and the Wildcats are 1-2 in the previous three seasons.
Northwestern vs Purdue Game Information
- Game: Northwestern vs Purdue
- Location: Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN
- Day/Time: Saturday, Nov. 19, Noon ET
- Northwestern vs Purdue Live Stream: ESPN
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Northwestern vs Purdue Betting Lines
Northwestern vs Purdue Picks & Prediction
Northwestern’s combination of zero offense and terrible defense is doing nothing for the Wildcats. They have been held to seven points or less in four of their last six games and haven’t won since Aug. 27. Don’t forget they are down to a third-string quarterback.
Purdue averages over double the points that Northwestern does and has a much better defense. It should have no issue in covering this game if all goes to plan.
The Northwestern Wildcats are listed at +700 in our Vegas NCAAF lines. This means that if you wager $100 on Northwestern, you have a chance to win $700. The Purdue Boilermakers are -1100, offering a chance to win $9 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Northwestern a 12.50% chance to win, with Purdue at 91.67%.