The 16th-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (20-15) face the No. 1' Purdue Boilermakers (29-5) Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The East Region game tips off from Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, at 6:50 p.m. ET (TNT). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Purdue odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
The Knights routed Texas Southern in the First Four game Wednesday night, winning 84-61 as a 2.5-point underdog as the Under cashed. FDU shot 50% (23 of 46) from the field, while cashing in at 41% (11 of 27) on 3-pointers. It was also sharp at the free-throw line, hitting 27 of 31 (87%). Ansley Almonor scored 23 points with 8 rebounds, while knocking down 5 triples.
The Boilermakers won the Big Ten Tournament, edging Penn State in the title game. Purdue has won 5 in a row since falling 79-71 at home against Indiana. The Boilermakers are just 2-7 ATS in the last 9 games.
Check out: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll