Basketball Preview: Purdue vs. Ohio State - January 8th - 9:05 pm - ESPN

I'm done venting - it's time to look to the future!  Purdue still has a chance to make some noise this year.  They can beat anyone at home.  Let's say the Boilers can work some Mackey Magic, sweeping their remaining home games.  Then, they only have to win 3 out of their 5 road games against unranked opponents (Iowa, Nebraska, Penn St., Wisconsin, Northwestern) to go 12-6 in the toughest conference in the country and have an overall record of 19-12 heading into the Big Ten Tourney.  Purdue could lose in the first round and would still make the NCAA Tourney.  It's still possible...

Are you surprised that this is licensed Buckeye merchandise?

Why Purdue Will Win
Ohio State is coming off a 19-point loss to Illinois - the same Illinois team that Purdue beat three days earlier.  That should give the Boilers all the confidence they need.  But here's something that's even more promising - Naanaa Egwu scored 16 points and pretty much dominated the Buckeyes.  Ohio State has really struggled with their inside offense and defense this year, meaning Purdue actually matches up pretty well.  Amir Williams is Ohio State's only player over 6-8.  If AJ Hammons can stay out of foul trouble, expect the Boilers to be right there in the last couple minutes of the game.

Why Ohio State Will Win
The Buckeyes have a ton of talent and showed it as they nearly won at Duke in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.  This is another team that shoots very well with Deshaun Thomas averaging over 20 points per game.  If Lenzelle Smith gets hot from 3-point range (he's averaging 44% on the season), that should allow Aaron Craft to drive inside and work his magic.  Craft has destroyed the Boilers in the past, even with an excellent Lewis Jackson guarding him.  It's tough to imagine how anyone will be able to stop him on this year's team.

One thing you absolutely need to know before the game 
This will be the first year since 2001 that I will not be attending a Purdue-Ohio State basketball game (normally I go to the game in Columbus, but there isn't one this year), so you may notice it's a little quieter in there this year - I really hate Ohio State.  However, it'll be nice to see the Paint Crew back in full force on ESPN...expect it to get loud in Mackey tomorrow!

Our Picks - We like to think we're better than Vegas.  So throughout the season, we'll be "betting" a whole dollar amount versus the spread between $1 and $32, but we can't repeat the same value twice. The spread for this game is Ohio State -6.5.


Erik's Bet: $23
Erik's Pick: Ohio State 69 - Purdue 68

Kirk's Bet: $16
Kirk's Pick: Purdue 71 - Ohio State 69

Standings:
Erik +218 (13-3 Against The Spread)
Kirk -122 (6-10 Against The Spread)

Values already bet
Erik 3, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 21, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32
Kirk 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32

BOILER UP!!!!

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