Indiana vs Purdue Odds, Pick for Saturday

Below, we have Indiana vs Purdue odds and a pick for Saturday.

Round two of one of the best rivalries in college basketball takes place Saturday when the Indiana Hoosiers take on the Purdue Boilermakers in Mackey Arena. Purdue got the best of Indiana the first time these two teams met this year, winning by 21 points at Assembly Hall in the middle of January.

Since then, Purdue has been flawless, winning five consecutive games and working its overall record all the way up to 21-2. The Boilermakers now find themselves alone in first place atop the Big Ten standings, with dreams of much larger titles once the NCAA tournament begins.

Indiana cannot say the same. The Hoosiers' 14-9 record does not look awful on its face, but the season has been far from pretty. Indiana has now lost five of its last eight games, including a disaster of a performance in its last home game, a 14-point loss at the hands of Penn State. Mike Woodson has his hands full, and it will not be easy to make this one a game.

Purdue will be looking to get revenge for last season, when Indiana swept the Boilermakers in two regular season contests. They are one win away from doing so, and the Mackey Arena crowd will surely be rocking.

Health, depth and guard play have been Indiana's three largest issues this season — and unfortunately they all can be tied together. Xavier Johnson has been in and out of the lineup and has missed the last two games entering this contest.

Johnson isn't the only Hoosier to miss time. Kel'el Ware missed two games in the recent losing streak before returning. With such little continuity, things have started to fall apart for a Hoosiers team that was already struggling to score the basketball.

This is one of the worst shooting teams in all of college basketball this season. Indiana attempts just 27% of its shots from outside the arc, and it makes just 33% of those attempts. Both marks put the Hoosiers near the bottom of the Big Ten, and the country, in those categories.

If there is one thing Indiana does well, it is get to the free-throw line, ranking 21st in the country in free-throw rate. The Hoosiers will need to get the benefit of some calls, which is easier said than done in Mackey Arena.

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Purdue owns the top-ranked offense in the country. Headlined by reigning National Player of the Year Zach Edey, the Boilermakers can often do no wrong when scoring the basketball.

They have made major strides since last season at shooting the basketball, rising from 276th in 3-point shooting percentage all the way up to fifth in the country. Braden Smith's emergence as one of the best point guards in the country has really opened things up for Purdue's shooters, namely Lance Jones and Fletcher Loyer.

They are no slouches on defense either, ranking 15th nationally in defensive efficiency. As long as Edey stays out of foul trouble, it is hard to see Indiana keeping this closer than the 21-point loss it took in the first matchup at Assembly Hall.

Given Indiana's injury concerns and the boost from the home crowd, the best play here is Purdue to cover. Expect the Boilermakers' revenge tour to continue with another sizable statement win.

Pick: Purdue -18