The Purdue Boilermakers take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in Piscataway, NJ. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.
Purdue is favored by -15.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -2500. The total is set at 145.5 points.
Here’s my Purdue vs. Rutgers prediction and college basketball picks for December 2, 2025.
Purdue vs Rutgers Prediction
My Pick: Purdue -15.5 (Play to -19)
My Purdue vs Rutgers best bet is on the Boilermakers to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Purdue vs. Rutgers Odds
| Purdue Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-15.5 -102 | 145.5 -110 / -110 | -2500 |
| Rutgers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+15.5 -120 | 145.5 -110 / -110 | +920 |
- Purdue vs Rutgers spread: Purdue -15.5
- Purdue vs Rutgers over/under: 145.5 points
- Purdue vs Rutgers moneyline: Purdue -2500, Rutgers +920
Purdue vs Rutgers College Basketball Betting Preview
Purdue Basketball
It’s becoming a yearly thing for Purdue to get off to a fiery start. The Boilermakers enter league play with a 7-0 record with four wins over top-70 opponents.
Purdue boasts the best offense in the country, ranking first in KenPom’s offensive efficiency.
With all the weapons the Boilermakers possess, that’s not much of a surprise.
Everything begins with point guard Braden Smith — the straw that stirs the drink. The National Player of the Year candidate is having a down scoring year, averaging 13 points per game on 37% shooting. But his best skill is passing — and he’s averaging over nine assists per game.
He’s the primary reason why Purdue shooters get such good looks and connect on 42% of their 3s. Sharpshooter Fletcher Loyer is the main benefactor, as he's shooting a jarring 51% from deep.
It's not just the shooting that makes Purdue so tough on the offensive end; the offensive rebounds created by the bigs — Trey Kaufman-Renn and Oscar Cluff — become demoralizing for the opponent. Both Kaufman-Renn and Cluff average double-doubles and are shooting over 60% from the field.
Cluff has also made a real difference in terms of adding toughness and strong interior defense. A season ago, Purdue was brutal at limiting teams from scoring inside. In 2025-26 so far, the Boilermakers hold teams to 49.1% shooting from 2-point range (118th nationally). That's a huge year-to-year improvement.
Rutgers Basketball
It’s easy to feel bad for Rutgers, which has to open Big Ten play on the road versus Purdue and then has to return home to play Michigan.
Last week, the Scarlet Knights went 1-2 in the Player Era Festival, beginning with a 25-point shellacking from Tennessee before losing to Notre Dame by five and beating UNLV by 15.
Could Rutgers use the UNLV win as a building block? I’d call that unlikely.
Despite winning, all of the issues that make Rutgers a bad team still showed up . The Scarlet Knights shot 48% from inside the arc in that game — compared to 46% for the year. They went 4-of-16 (25%) from deep, which is far lower than their season-long 34% mark.
However, Rutgers grabbed 14 offensive rebounds and got to the foul line 36 times. That’ll be a successful formula more often than not.
Rutgers ranks 155th in offensive efficiency this season — and it’s hard to picture it getting better. The only real offensive weapon on the roster is sophomore forward Dylan Grant. He’s one of two players (Tariq Francis is the other) who average double-digits.
For any offensive turnaround to occur, Steve Pikiell needs more from Francis and Jamichael Davis.
In order for the Scarlet Knights to turn things around, they need to be a lot better than 105th in defensive efficiency.
The offense is a lost cause due to talent, but the defense can overcome the talent disparity against more talented foes. However, that starts with being gritty and making the game ugly.
Purdue vs. Rutgers Betting Analysis
I'm rolling with a Purdue blowout and for it to cover.
Look, it's not a foolproof method, but let's take a look at how good the Boilermakers can be when they get rolling.
Against Akron, the Boilermakers won by 18, and they beat Texas Tech by 30.
I just can't see Rutgers pulling off some magic like it seems to usually pull off at home.
My Pick: Purdue -15.5 (Play to -19)
