The No. 4 Purdue Boilermakers will look to stay hot having won seven of eight games by 10 or more points when they take on the visiting Hofstra Pride in a non-conference matchup on Wednesday night. The Boilermakers (8-0, 1-0) defeated Minnesota 89-70 on Sunday to open up Big Ten Conference play, and have a plus-16.6 average scoring margin over their opponents this season. The Pride (6-3), who dropped an 81-77 overtime decision at George Mason on Nov. 30, are 4-3 away from home this season. Purdue won the only meeting between the teams, an 83-54 win on Nov. 11, 2012. Purdue is averaging 78.6 points per game, while Hofstra averages 72.4.
The game from Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana, tips off at 7 p.m. ET. The Boilermakers are 18.5-point favorites in the latest Hofstra vs. Purdue odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 146.5. Before making any Hofstra vs. Purdue picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past six-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated more than $1,400 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anybody who has followed it has seen profitable returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Hofstra vs. Purdue and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines and trends for Hofstra vs. Purdue:
- Hofstra vs. Purdue spread: Purdue -18.5
- Hofstra vs. Purdue over/under: 146.5 points
- HOF: The Pride are 35-17-2 against the spread in their last 54 road games against a team with a home winning % of greater than .600
- PUR: The Boilermakers are 3-0-1 ATS in their last four games vs. a team with a winning straight-up record
- Hofstra vs. Purdue picks: See picks here
Why Purdue can cover
Freshman guard Braden Smith is averaging nine points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game in eight starts for the Boilermakers. He has reached double figures in three games, including a 20-point performance in a 75-70 win over Marquette on Nov. 15. He also scored 14 points against then-No. 6 Gonzaga in an 84-66 triumph. He has been averaging 10.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists over the past six games.
Also helping lead Purdue is junior guard Brandon Newman, who is averaging 8.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and one assist per game coming off the bench. He is also one of the Boilermakers' top free-throw shooters, connecting on 83.3% from the charity stripe. He is coming off a 13-point performance against Minnesota, and had 16 points in the season opener against Milwaukee. He has 77 career 3-pointers, and Purdue is 21-3 in his career when he hits two or more threes in a game.
Why Hofstra can cover
Senior guard Aaron Estrada has been a dominant force for the Pride, and is coming off back-to-back strong outings. In a 72-70 win over Quinnipiac, Estrada scored 29 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out six assists. He followed that up with 31 points, five rebounds and two assists in the loss to George Mason. For the year, he is averaging 21.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, four assists and 1.6 steals.
Senior guard Tyler Thomas, a transfer from Sacred Heart, is averaging double-digit scoring for the third year in a row. Last season at Sacred Heart, Thomas averaged 16.4 points per game. The year before that, he connected for 19.1 points per game. He is coming off a 14-point, four-rebound effort at George Mason. For the season, he averages 12.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and one assist per game.
How to make Hofstra vs. Purdue picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the point total. In fact, it says Hofstra's Tyler Thomas will better his season average by nearly two points, while Purdue's Fletcher Loyer will score nearly 1.5 more points than his average. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in well over 50% of simulations. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Hofstra vs. Purdue? And which side of the spread cashes in well over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Hofstra vs. Purdue spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up more than $1,400 on its college basketball picks the last six years, and find out.
