#1 Arizona and #3 Purdue meet at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers, for a Saturday afternoon matchup on Peacock, that tips off at 4:30 PM ET.
Arizona Wildcats vs Purdue Boilermakers
Projected Line: Purdue -3, O/U 161.0
This game should feature fireworks as both the Wildcats and Boilermakers rank top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency this season.
Both are top 25 in offensive three-point percentage and Arizona is the best rebounding team in the country (8th, 1st), while Purdue’s rebounding ranks are lower than expected (42nd, 31st) to start the year.
Reigning Naismith Player of the Year Zach Edey is at the forefront of what Purdue will do offensively and defensively (32.6 usage rate), while Arizona has six players posting a usage rate of 20% or more and five players averaging 10-plus points per game.
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Purdue has attempted to shed the thought and stench of last year’s loss to the No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson. To start this season, the Boilermakers loaded the schedule and have impressive wins over Xavier, Gonzaga, Marquette, Tennessee, Iowa, and Alabama.
The lone loss at Northwestern (92-88 OT) is the only reason Purdue isn’t the No. 1 ranked team, especially since they have the best resume thus far. Arizona is undefeated and owns three Top 25 victories over Duke, Michigan State, and Wisconsin, not quite the resume of Purdue’s, but impressive, nonetheless.
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This matchup will be challenging for both Purdue and Arizona, but there’s one category that makes me lean toward Arizona. The Boilermakers rank 336th when it comes to forcing turnovers (14%), while the Wildcats are 80th (19.8%), which is significant since both teams rank just outside the top 100 in offensive turnover percentage.
The home crowd advantage will be evident for Purdue, but Arizona is a team that can play from behind, plus won at Duke earlier this season. If the Wildcats are forcing turnovers and making free throws (73%, 114th), then they are hard to beat considering all the offensive options they have.
The betting odds will be released on Friday night for this game, but Barttorvik projects Purdue -3 and O/U 161.0 while Kenpom predicts Purdue -1 and an O/U of 161.0. If Arizona is +3, I will take a shot on the Wildcats.
You can watch the game live on Peacock, as coverage begins at 4 PM ET for a 4:30 tip between #1 Arizona and #3 Purdue at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Pick: If Arizona is +3 -- I will take the Wildcats +3
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