The Purdue Boilermakers face a gut-check game on Friday night.
Ranked No. 1 in the country entering the season, the Boilermakers are coming off a 91-80 loss to the current top-ranked team, Michigan, at home. After jumping out to a 5-0 lead, Purdue was never in the contest, trailing by 20 points at one point.
After the loss, Boilermakers coach Matt Painter had a subtle critique for his team. “You can be preseason No. 1 in the country,” he stated. “It means nothing.”
And now Purdue (21-5, 11-4 in Big Ten), with its conference title hopes all but dashed, must regroup on Friday when it faces the rival Indiana Hoosiers, a team that beat the Boilermakers earlier this season, at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind.
The Hoosiers (17-9, 8-7) are coming off a loss, 71-51, at No. 8 Illinois. They currently sit on the NCAA Tournament bubble and cannot afford too many more losses if they hope to make the 68-team field.
The Boilermakers are 11.5-point favorites on Friday.
While Purdue vs. Indiana is the marquee attraction on Friday, there are other options on a sporting landscape that includes nine NBA games and a partial college basketball schedule. Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Friday, Feb. 20. All times Eastern.
College basketball best bets, where to watch
VCU at No. 18 Saint Louis
Time: 7 p.m. | Location: St. Louis | TV: ESPN2 | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Saint Louis -7.5 | Expert: VCU +8.5 (Chip Patterson)
The lead in the Atlantic 10 will be on the line when the Saint Louis Billikens and VCU Rams collide at the Chaifetz Arena. The Billikens (24-2, 12-1 in A-10) lead the conference by a half game over the Rams (21-6, 12-2) but are coming off a shocking loss at Rhode Island on Tuesday. Meanwhile, VCU has reeled off 10 straight wins. In the previous matchup between the teams, the Rams led 62-61 with 2:30 remaining in the game before Saint Louis scored the last 10 points of the contest. “Phil Martelli Jr.’s team is playing well enough to threaten for the road upset,” Patterson says. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every college basketball game 10,000 times, disagrees. It says the Billikens have a 53.0% chance to cover and assigns a C grade to Saint Louis -7.5.
Indiana at No. 7 Purdue
Time: 8 p.m. | Location: West Lafayette, Ind. | TV: FOX | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Over 149.5 | Expert: Purdue First Half -6 (Chip Patterson)
Despite the Boilermakers’ loss to Michigan on Tuesday, they still have the No. 2-rated offense in the country (129.2 points per 100 possessions, according to KenPom). But the defense struggled against the Wolverines, allowing Michigan to shoot 52.6% from the field and 56.5% on 3-pointers. The SportsLine Projection Model says there’s a 71.6% chance the teams combine for 150 points or more and gives a B grade to Over 149.5. Meanwhile, Patterson is expecting to see a motivated Boilermakers team. “Purdue simply has to come out breathing fire after getting run by Michigan at home on Tuesday night,” he says.
NBA best bets, where to watch
Mavericks at Timberwolves
Time: 7:30 p.m. | Location: Minneapolis | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Under 239.5
As if things aren’t already bad enough for the Dallas Mavericks, who have lost nine in a row, rookie sensation Cooper Flagg has been ruled out for Friday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a foot injury that kept him out of the NBA’s All-Star events. That’s a tough blow considering Flagg is on pace to become just the eighth rookie in league history to average at least 20 points, six rebounds and four assists a game. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves are an elite defensive team when at home. They give up just 108.1 points per 100 possessions at the Target Center, which is the third-best defensive rating at home in the league. The SportsLine Projection Model says there’s a 57.3% chance the teams combine for 239 points or fewer and assigns a B grade to Under 239.5.
Clippers at Lakers
Time: 10 p.m. | Location: Los Angeles | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Over 226.5
The good news for the Los Angeles Lakers: Their big three of LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are all set to play on Friday against the Los Angeles Clippers. The bad news: James, Doncic and Reaves are all subpar perimeter defenders on big contracts, and that’s no way to win a title. The Lakers give up 116.6 points per 100 possessions, which ranks 23rd in the league. Meanwhile, the Clippers are coming off a 115-114 upset of the Nuggets on Thursday night. The SportsLine Projection Model says there’s a 64.1% chance the teams combine for 227 points or more and gives a strong A grade to Over 226.5.
Looking ahead
College basketball: No. 4 Arizona at No. 2 Houston
Time: 3 p.m. Saturday | Location: Houston | TV: ABC | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Houston -5.5 | Expert: Houston -3.5 (Thomas Casale)
Saturday is an enormous day in college basketball, with two massive games, each featuring two top-four teams and national title contenders. In the first game, the Houston Cougars and Arizona Wildcats collide with the lead in the Big 12 on the line and a possible No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament at stake. The Cougars (23-3, 11-2 in Big 12) and Wildcats (24-2, 11-2) enter Saturday’s showdown tied for the top spot in the conference. Arizona, however, will be without its No. 2 scorer, Koa Peat (lower leg). That doesn’t bode well against Houston, which has the second-best scoring defense in the country (61.6 points per game). “I like the spot for Houston at home and I think they are the better team,” Casale says. The SportsLine Projection Model says the Cougars have a 64.0% chance to cover and assigns a B grade to Houston -5.5.
No. 1 Michigan vs No. 3 Duke
Time: 6:30 p.m. Saturday | Location: Washington, D.C. | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Duke +2.5
Settle in for college basketball’s game of the year: the No. 1 Michigan Wolverines against the No. 3 Duke Blue Devils at Capital One Arena in a showdown that could be a preview of the national championship game. The matchup to watch will be Duke’s Cameron Boozer, who’s the favorite to win the national player of the year award, against Michigan’s army of big men. Led by Boozer, who ranks 14th in the country in rebounds per game (10.0), the Blue Devils rank eighth in the nation in rebound margin (9.8 per game) and have the ability to neutralize the Wolverines’ ability to get second shots. The SportsLine Projection Model says there’s a 67.0% chance Duke covers and gives a B grade to Blue Devils +2.5.
