No. 3 seed Purdue will try to avoid being upset by No. 15 seed Saint Peter's in an East Region Sweet 16 showdown on Friday night. The Boilermakers have advanced to the second weekend of the 2022 NCAA Tournament with wins over No. 14 seed Yale and No. 6 seed Texas. Saint Peter's sprung a huge upset over second-seeded Kentucky on the opening day of March Madness 2022 and then added a 70-60 win over No. 7 seed Murray State in the second round.
Tipoff is set for 7:09 p.m. ET Friday on CBS at the Wells Fargo Center. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Boilermakers as 13-point favorites in the latest Purdue vs. Saint Peter's odds. The total for points scored is listed at 133.5. Before finalizing any Saint Peter's vs. Purdue picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $1,300 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Purdue vs. Saint Peter's and revealed its coveted picks and predictions for the NCAA Tournament 2022. You can head to SportsLine to see all of the model's college basketball picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Saint Peter's vs. Purdue:
- Purdue vs. Saint Peter's spread: Boilermakers -13
- Purdue vs. Saint Peter's over-under: 133.5 points
- Purdue vs. Saint Peter's money line: Boilermakers -1000, Peacocks +650
- PUR: The Boilermakers are 2-8-2 against the spread in their last 12 games
- STP: The Peacocks are 14-3-1 ATS in their last 18 contests following a win
Why Purdue can cover
This will be the toughest test thus far for Saint Peter's defense. Purdue enters this game as the top offense in college basketball, according to KenPom's metrics. The Boilermakers have the fourth-best 3-point shooting percentage -- they are also inside the top 15 in 2-point percentage and offensive rebounding rate. They are one of the tallest teams in the country, which does not bode well for a Saint Peter's squad that is No. 295 in average height.
The Peacocks were blown out by St. John's and Providence earlier this season, so their current run could turn out to be an aberration. They have been dealing with turnover issues and shooting woes throughout the season, which might come back to haunt them against a talented team like Purdue. Saint Peter's took Kentucky by surprise last week, but Purdue has had nearly a week to prepare for this game.
Why Saint Peter's can cover
The Peacocks have reeled off nine consecutive victories, the longest current winning streak in the nation, as they've become the first team in MAAC history to reach the Sweet 16. The run is the longest by Saint Peter's since 1994-95, when it also won nine in a row. The team never trailed against Murray State while limiting the Racers to 34.6 percent overall shooting and 33.3 percent from 3-point range.
Saint Peter's, which has held eight of its last nine opponents under 70 points, received strong production from its reserves on Saturday as they produced 23 points while Murray State's bench scored three. Doug Edert was the biggest contributor, finishing second on the team with 13 points. The junior guard also was the Peacocks' second-leading scorer against Kentucky, recording 20 points, and has reached double figures in four consecutive contests despite averaging 9.7 this season.
How to make Saint Peter's vs. Purdue picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the point total, projecting the teams to combine for 137 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits over 60 percent of the time. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Purdue vs. Saint Peter's? And which side of the spread hits over 60 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.
