Sunday’s March Madness icebreaker features a matchup between No. 2 Purdue and No. 10 Butler with Purdue Sportsbook as a 3.5-point favorite. The teams previously faced off on December 16, with Purdue easily taking an 82-67 victory. Bettors might not want to read too much into that lopsided win as Purdue has been hot garbage as a betting favorite, posting a 2-11 ATS mark in its last 13 in that spot.
- Purdue is 1-5 SU in its last six games against Butler.
- Butler is 4-0 SU and ATS in its last four games with one day off between games.
- Butler is 3-8 SU and ATS as an underdog this season.
The Boilermakers laid the smack down in their Sportsbook-round matchup vs Cal State Fullerton, destroying them 74-48. Snuffing out opposing offenses is nothing new for Purdue, which has allowed just 65.1 points per game this season.
If you’re thinking upset in this one, there’s one particularly interesting red flag that you should be aware of. Since 1997, there’s been 12 instances of No. 2 seeds who’ve won six or fewer of their last 10 games coming into the tourney, and a whopping nine of them have lost in the second round! Purdue matches this criteria as the team came into March Madness with a 6-4 SU record in its last 10 games. With that in mind, Butler can be had at +145 on the moneyline.
With a total of 143.5, it should be noted that both teams average close to 80 points per game, but neither is trending in any particular direction.
Butler Bulldogs vs Purdue Boilermakers Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Purdue Boilermakers battle the Butler Bulldogs, currently sitting with a 21-13 mark (16-17 ATS). The OVER/UNDER records, always important for totals betting, are 18-17 for the Boilermakers and 19-14 for the Bulldogs.
According to new college basketball power rankings here at OddsShark, it's the No. 16-ranked Boilermakers and the No. 40-rated Bulldogs in this matchup.
Statistical Matchup
In the paint, the rebound battle will feature Purdue's No. 139-rated squad against Butler's No. 176-rated roster. And in long-range shooting, Purdue rates No. 26 in the country with 9.57 treys per game, while their foes tonight, the Bulldogs, rank No. 93 nationally with 8.26 per match.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
Butler earned a 79-62 victory over Arkansas on Friday, getting 27 points from Kelan Martin at Little Sportsbook Arena.
The Boilermakers blew out Cal State Fullerton on Friday, running up a 20+ point victory in a 74-48 win at Little Sportsbook Arena.
