Notre Dame vs. Purdue Odds

Purdue and Notre Dame meet in Indianapolis in the 10th annual Crossroads Classic. This event features back-to-back games between the four premier college programs in the state of Indiana, with Indiana and Butler the other participants.

Purdue enters this game at 5-2 and is fresh off a big win over previously unbeaten Ohio State in its Big Ten opener on Wednesday. A win over the Irish would give the Boilermakers plenty of confidence and momentum before they resume conference play next week.

Notre Dame has faced a brutal schedule early and enters Saturday's tilt with a 2-3 record. Things appeared to be headed in the right direction for the Irish after they knocked off Kentucky last Saturday, but they followed that up with a 10-point home loss to Duke on Wednesday night.

Just like Purdue, the Irish return to conference play after this game and would love to add a win over their last quality non-conference opponent to their resume.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Mike Brey loves when his teams are experienced, so he was naturally excited about this year's group that starts a senior, three juniors and a redshirt sophomore. Brey stated that one of his reasons for scheduling such a tough non-conference slate was that he really liked this team and thought they could have plenty of success.

Early on, the Irish have seen mixed results, with a little more bad than good. They were overwhelmed by Michigan State's talent and athleticism in a season-opening loss that wasn't as close as the final score indicated. In the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, they came out hot against Ohio State, but struggled in the second half before falling to the Buckeyes by 5 points at home.

The win at Kentucky was huge, but the way they played in the second half was very concerning.

After leading by 22 at halftime, the Irish were playing not to lose and became too conservative on the offensive end in the second half. It almost ended up costing them, as Kentucky came all the way back and missed a game-winning attempt as time expired. Notre Dame only mustered up 16 second-half points in the 1-point victory.

Looking at Notre Dame's personnel, Prentiss Hubb and Dane Goodwin have been the team's best players. Hubb is a crafty point guard who's upped his scoring this year (19.4 points per game), but is also turning the ball over more.

Goodwin has thrived in his new role as a starter and has been an efficient scorer, averaging 15.4 points per game on shooting splits of 53% from the floor, 47% from 3 and 82% from the line.

Down low, stretch four Nate Laszewski is also having a big season as a new full-time starter and is shooting the lights out from 3, hitting nine of his 16 attempts on the season. Center Juwan Durham is one of the top post defenders in the ACC, and he'll have his hands full guarding Purdue's monster duo of Trevion Williams and Zach Edey.

The Irish got a big boost on Wednesday when the NCAA declared that all transfers would be eligible this year. That allowed Santa Clara transfer Trey Wertz to suit up for the first time this season against Duke. He looked good in 21 minutes of action and will be the first guard off the bench for the Irish moving forward.

Purdue Boilermakers

Like Notre Dame, Purdue has had its ups and downs early on.

Purdue dropped a game early against a very good Clemson team in the championship of the Space Coast Challenge. They dropped their next game against a quality opponent on the road at Miami in the Big Ten/ACC challenge. It was a very frustrating loss for the Boilermakers, who led by as much as 20 in the first half, but collapsed in the second to lose by 4.

However, Purdue bounced back in itsnext two games, defeating a pesky Indiana State team, and then led wire-to-wire in a big win over Ohio State. Those victories certainly did a lot for the confidence and chemistry of a team with a mix of veteran and freshman talent.

The first thing that will catch your eye when Purdue takes the court is its massive frontcourt. At 6-foot-10, 265 pounds, Williams is a load down low and is supremely skilled. He's one of the best low-post scorers in college basketball and is also a very gifted passer. He gave Ohio State fits all game long, putting up 16 points and nine rebounds while also dishing out a game-high eight assists.

Edey is a monster in the post, as well. The 7-foot-4 freshman center is nearly impossible to stop when he catches the ball in the paint, and is averaging 11.6 points in just 15 minutes per game.

You'll rarely see Williams and Edey on the floor together, as they would create a defensive liability for the Boilermakers. But given that they both often deal with foul trouble, it's a gift for Matt Painter to have the option of rotating the two in and out.

Eric Hunter Jr. and Sasha Stefanovic lead the Purdue backcourt and are both off to strong starts.

Hunter missed the first four games of the season with an injury, but looks to be at full strength now and played great in the win over the Buckeyes. Stefanovic is one of the best 3-point shooters in the nation, and is converting 49% of his long-range attempts this year on high volume.

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Betting Analysis & Pick

I think this spread is a little too high and is likely inflated based on how good Purdue just looked against Ohio State.

Brey has had Painter's number in this matchup, as the Irish are 3-1 against Purdue in the Crossroads Classic, including an upset over the eventual Elite Eight Purdue team in their most recent meeting in 2018.

Given the way Notre Dame has struggled in second halves, I trust them more to keep it close or have the lead at halftime.

I also like the first half over based on how much better Notre Dame has shot the ball in the first half, as well as Purdue's hot start from beyond the arc this season.

Pick: Notre Dame First Half +3 or better |  First half over 67 or better.