College Basketball Betting – Boilermakers Look For Fifth Straight Win To Open Big Ten Play Thursday
With just two games scheduled for Thursday night that will feature college basketball teams ranked in the top 25, the Big Ten will take the spotlight with a matchup between the eighth-ranked Purdue Boilermakers, and the No. 25 Minnesota Golden Gophers. Despite that both teams have experienced success so far this year, only one has done well in the Big Ten, with Purdue undefeated through its first four conference games.
- (8) Purdue Boilermakers @ Minnesota Golden Gophers (25)
- Thursday January 13, 2011 – 7:00 PM ET
- Williams Arena, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Online Sports Betting Odds: Purdue – 4.5
The Boilermakers will need to be at their best to keep Minnesota down, after the Golden Gophers opened Big Ten play with just one win through their first four games. This will be Minnesota’s fourth ranked opponent in five games against their own conference, and it will be interesting to see if they can finally get the job done or run the risk of falling out of the top 25.
College Basketball Betting Preview: Purdue
The Boilermakers have won 10 straight games since a surprising loss to Richmond at home in late November, including four straight to open the Big Ten portion of their schedule. Senior forward JaJuan Johnson has been the biggest reason for the team’s success, as he leads Purdue in both points and rebounds with averages of 19.4 and 8.3 per game. The 6’10 banger will get plenty of touches again in Purdue’s final game against a ranked opponent until late January, as the Boilermakers have done an excellent job of spreading the ball around during their run. Purdue ranks 12th in the nation in average assists per game with 17.8, with junior guard Lewis Jackson leading the way with 4.2 per game.
College Basketball Betting Preview: Minnesota
The Golden Gophers haven’t been able to overcome the adversity of a tough schedule that is even worse than their college football betting program was subject to, and this will be their fourth ranked opponent in five games. Minnesota has lost to all three top 25 opponents they have faced from the Big Ten, including a close 67-64 loss to undefeated No. 2 Ohio State on the road their last outing. The Golden Gophers have the chance to bounce back against the Boilermakers before a string of games against unranked opponents, and a lot of the load will once again be on forward Trevor Mbakwe, who has averaged 13.4 points and 10.4 rebounds per game this season. Mbakwe will likely match up against Johnson at both ends of the floor, and whoever wins the battle between them will likely come out with the win.
College Basketball Betting: Outlook & Pick
As good as Minnesota was on the road against the Buckeyes, it’s difficult to envision them bouncing back with a sports betting bonus win against a team as hot as Purdue. The Boilermakers are finally garnering national recognition as a legitimate threat in the Big Ten, and another win could push the Gophers out of the top 25 altogether.
College Basketball Betting Pick: Purdue
