:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71967832/usa_today_19957491.0.jpg "College basketball picks: Purdue-Northwestern prediction, odds, spread for February 12")
The No. 1 Purdue Boilermakers face an interesting challenge in the upward-moving Northwestern Wildcats on Sunday, February 12. The game will air on BTN at 2:00 p.m. ET. Let's take a look at the odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook and make some picks.
Purdue vs. Northwestern odds
Spread: Purdue -4.5
Over/Under: 131.5
Moneyline: Purdue -195, Northwestern +165
The Boilermakers (23-2, 12-2 B1G) bounced back from their loss to Indiana with a win over Iowa. Led by big man Zach Edey, Purdue is essentially a lock for a 1-seed in the tournament. They rank fifth at KenPom, and their offense has been unstoppable all season. They grab 12.4 offensive rebounds a night (33rd in the nation) and average 15.7 assists per game (15.7), controlling the ball with a quick-moving and oversized offense.
Northwestern (17-7, 8-5 B1G) has risen to the third-place spot in the Big Ten after winning five of their last seven conference games. They most recently beat Ohio State in Columbus, continuing to move up in the rankings as we approach March. The Wildcats control the tempo of their games, moving at a slow pace, which will be difficult to do against Purdue. They rank 50th at KenPom and 30th in adjusted defensive efficiency, holding opponents to 62.1 points per night on 40.4% shooting.
The Pick: Purdue -4.5
Northwestern is a very good basketball team, but their style of play won't be able to limit this Purdue team. They can't defend Zach Edey, and even slowing it down on their end of the court won't stop the Boilermakers from executing their offensive style when the Cats are on defense. I'll take Purdue to cover.