Two Big Ten heavyweights tangle up this Saturday afternoon, as the No. 18 Purdue Boilermakers pay the fourth-ranked Maryland Terrapins a visit at the XFINITY Center. Both clubs are looking to extend their respective winning streaks, but only one of them can succeed in doing so. Who’s it going to be?
Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this must-see matchup. And while you’re at it, check out our preview of another promising game between the Baylor Bears and West Virginia Mountaineers. Enjoy.
[sc:MarchMadness ]Purdue Boilermakers vs. Maryland Terrapins Preview
Where: XFINITY Center, College Park, Maryland
When: Saturday, February 6, 4:00 PM ET
Line: Purdue Boilermakers vs. Maryland Terrapins– view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Purdue Boilermakers (19-4, 7-3 Big Ten)
[sc:NCAAB240banner]Purdue’s gathering up some steam once again. The Boilermakers march into this bout having won five of their previous six games and as winners of their last two. In those two wins, A.J. Hammons and Vince Edwards have been leading the way for them, averaging 24.0 points and 14.5 points respectively.
Hammons, in particular, has been more impressive actually. The 23-year-0ld center has finished with 10 or more points in four of his last five outings. That stretch includes their most recent win against Nebraska, wherein Hammons filled up the stat sheet with a career- best 32 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and four blocks. But a replication of this performance could be pretty far-fetched especially against a fourth-ranked Maryland Terrapins squad that only allows less than 65 points per game this season.
That being said, Hammons has got to be a little more creative in this one and make sure to find his open teammates whenever he attracts the double teams. Once that happens, the Boilermakers’ top three-point shooters in Edwards (.406), Rapheal Davis (.379) and P.J. Thompson (.404) ought to stay alert and be ready to knock down those wide-open jumpers.
On defense, meanwhile, the Boilermakers will have to find a way to prevent Melo Trimble and Robert Carter from getting any easy buckets and ultimately from finding their groove. It’s a good thing that Purdue’s played solidly at this end of the floor, yielding just 62.6 points per contest this year.
Purdue is 6-4 SU and ATS in its past 10 road games.
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Betting on the Maryland Terrapins (20-3, 9-2 Big Ten)
Purdue’s stifling defense is definitely going to be hard to break through, but the No. 4 Maryland Terrapins certainly have enough offensive weapons to do so. For one, the Terps have the luxury of having an all-around floor general like Melo Trimble.
Trimble has arguably lived up to the expectations this season, as he currently leads his team in points (14.5) and assists (5.4). The 6-foot-3, 185-pound point guard also heads into this matchup with some serious momentum on his side. He’s averaging 18.6 points on 47.7 percent shooting over his last five contests and is fresh off back-to-back 20-point efforts against Nebraska and Ohio State.
Apart from him, the Terps can rely on the pair of Robert Carter and Diamond Stone to help their cause. Both players have been racking up the points and crashing the glass all season long, tallying 26.0 points and 12.4 rebounds combined.
Also, defense shouldn’t be a liability for the Terps later because Stone has proven to be an intimidating rim-protector as well. He had a monstrous performance against Nebraska last Wednesday, during which he posted 16 points, 10 rebounds and a career-best eight blocks.
Maryland is 10-0 SU and 5-5 ATS in its previous 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Purdue gets the upset, 71-70.
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