A lot of March Madness bracket predictions probably do not have Purdue getting to the Final Four. They can compare with Gonzaga in that they are always solid but struggle to advance despite the current odds to win March Madness favoring them against most teams.
But FDU coach Tobin Anderson said after winning a First Four game that his FDU vs Purdue prediction was the Knights can win. Bold, certainly.
The Knights’ roster comprises the shortest college basketball players, while Purdue features Zach Edey, who is 7’4” and the favorite for National Player of the Year. Big Ten teams with comparable size could not defend Edey with double and triple teams, which is why the Boilermakers were atop the college basketball standings.
FDU Knights vs. Purdue Boilermakers Information
Fairleigh Dickinson Knights vs Purdue Boilmakers
Location: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH.
Date and Time: Friday, March 17, 2023, 7:00 PM ET.
How to Watch: TNT
Updates for FDU Knights vs. Purdue Boilermakers
No players are listed on the college basketball injury report for either team. Fortunately for the Knights (20-15), they only had to travel up the interstate after winning their game in Dayton, Ohio on Wednesday ahead of Friday’s contest.
They should be more rested than a 16-seed usually would be trying to slay a No. 1 seed, which only UMBC has been able to do when it beat Virginia in 2018. That game ruined a lot of March Madness picks, and the Knights hope to do it again.
FDU Knights vs. Purdue Boilermakers Betting Preview
The NCAAB odds for this game were not listed as of this writing. The best guess is Purdue (29-5) will be favored by around 22 points against an FDU team that is lucky to even be in the tournament.
The Knights (20-15) advanced to the NEC Tournament title game against Merrimack, which won the league and tournament championship but could not compete in the NCAA Tournament because it is in a transition period to the Division I level, which is one of the worst rules for NCAA basketball teams.
It is a weird quirk where the NCAAB schedule essentially did not matter for them, and whoever faced them in the tournament final, or won outright, was going to the dance anyway.
Analyzing the Strengths and Weaknesses of FDU and Purdue
An FDU vs Purdue prediction seems fairly easy if only because the Knights have a player who is 6-7 and two who are 6-6. Even with two of those players trying to double-team Edey, who averaged 21.9 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game, is going to be difficult.
The Boilermakers have great depth and play with great pace. They were 142nd in scoring 73.2 points per game and 87th in making 46.1% of field goal attempts.
They’ve struggled against teams who can shoot it well on the perimeter, and FDU is only 182nd at 34.3% from three-point range. That being said, Purdue’s defense is also 40th at holding teams to 31.1% on three-pointers.
But securing possessions is the biggest factor. Purdue is ninth in the country at grabbing 36.4 rebounds per game and first at limiting opponents to 24.4 per game.
FDU Knights vs. Purdue Boilermakers Betting Prediction
Neither FDU nor Purdue was popular among people making NCAAB picks this season. The Knights were 14-19 against the spread and 18-14-1 on over/under. They were 8-9 straight up on the road and 2-1 on a neutral court. They were 8-6 against the spread as an underdog.
Meanwhile, Purdue was 13-19-2 against the spread and 15-18-1 on over/under. It was 7-3 straight up on the road and 8-0 on a neutral court. As favorites, it was 9-13-2 against the spread.
In all reality, it is probably one of the NCAA basketball games today worth having muted in the background or on a second screen, if at all. But here is our FDU vs Purdue prediction.
- BETTING PICK: Purdue 87, FDU 61
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