Point Spread: Hoosiers Double-Digit Underdogs Against Purdue at Mackey Arena

Indiana has its hands full as a big underdog Friday night at No. 10 Purdue. They've lost nine straight to ranked teams. Here's the latest on the point spread, with a great history vs. the number for both teams.
Indiana coach Mike Woodson looks on during the first half at  Mackey Arena in a February 2024 game.
Indiana coach Mike Woodson looks on during the first half at Mackey Arena in a February 2024 game. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The two biggest wins in Mike Woodson's career came in 2023, when the Hoosiers upset then-No. 1 Purdue in Bloomington in January, and then knocked off the then-No. 5 Boilers again in late February.

These seem like distant memories though heading into Friday night's big in-state rivalry game. That's because Purdue won both games last year by 20-plus points and the Hoosiers have lost nine straight games to ranked teams since that 2023 upset at Mackey Arena.

The long losing streak to quality foes is expected to continue Friday night in the nationally televised showdown (8 p.m. ET, TV: FOX). The Hoosiers are 11.5-point underdogs according to the FanDuel.com gambling website as of 7 a.m. ET. The over-under is 146.5. (Editor's Note: There's a good chance that line will move on Friday, so we'll keep this story updated.)

If it seems high, there's a good reason. Mike Woodson's Hoosiers have lost five games by 16 points or more already this season, and during his four-year tenure at Indiana, the Hoosiers have lost by double-digits a whopping 27 times. Two of those blowout losses were against Purdue a year ago, losing 87-66 in Bloomington in January and 79-59 on Feb. 10 in West Lafayette.

Purdue is 16-5 overall and 8-2 in the Big Ten. Surprisingly, their two Big Ten losses have come to unranked teams, Penn State and Ohio State. The Jan. 21 home loss to the Buckeyes snapped a 26-game winning streak at Mackey Arena, the second-longest in the history of the building. Purdue had also won 14 straight Big Ten games there before the upset loss.

That streak started after Indiana beat Purdue in Mackey on Feb. 25, 2023. That was the night Indiana freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino went off for 35 points in a 79-71 win. The Hoosiers were 7.5-point underdogs that night.

Indiana has struggled against ranked teams since that night, though, losing nine straight games. They are just 2-7 against the spread in those matchups, too, and failed to cover in blowout losses to No. 3 Gonzaga and No. 19 Illinois this season.

Here's what we know so far about how Indiana and Purdue have fared against the point spread this season.

Indiana by the numbers

  • Indiana overall record: 14-7
    Indiana overall vs. spread: 10-9
  • Indiana home record: 11-2
    Indiana home vs. spread: 8-5
  • Indiana road record: 2-3
    Indiana road vs spread: 2-3
  • Indiana neutral court record: 1-2
    Indiana road vs spread: 1-2
  • Indiana record as favorite: 12-1
    Indiana vs. spread as favorite: 8-5
  • Indiana record as underdog: 2-6
    Indiana vs. spread as underdog: 3-5
  • Indiana over total: 12
    Indiana under total: 9

What Indiana has done so far this season

  • Nov. 6 (Wednesday) — No. 17 Indiana beat Southern Illinois-Edwardsville 80-61 at home as a 27.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (141) went under the 151.5 over/under total. Record: 1-0. To read the game story, CLICK HERE
  • Nov. 10 (Sunday) — No. 17 Indiana beat Eastern Illinois 90-55 at home as a 26.5-point favorite (covered). The score (145) went under the 148.5 over/under total. Record: 2-0. To read the game story, CLICK HERE
  • Nov. 16 (Saturday) — No. 16 Indiana beat South Carolina 87-71 at home as a 7.5-point favorite (covered). The score (156) went over the 144.5 over/under total. Record: 3-0. To read the game story, CLICK HERE
  • Nov. 21 (Thursday) — No. 16 Indiana beat UNC Greensboro 69-58 at home as a 16.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (127) went under the 145.5 over/under total. Record: 4-0. To read the game story, CLICK HERE
  • Nov. 27 (Wednesday) — No. 14 Indiana lost to Louisville 89-61 in the Bahamas as a 2.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (150) went under the 153.5 over/under total. Record: 4-1. To read the game story, CLICK HERE
  • Nov. 28 (Thursday) — No. 14 Indiana lost to No. 3 Gonzaga 89-73 in the Bahamas as a 9.5-point underdog (did not cover). The score (162) went over the 156.5 over/under total. Record: 4-2. To read the game story, CLICK HERE
  • Nov. 29 (Friday) — No. 14 Indiana beat Providence 89-73 in the Bahamas as a 4.5-point favorite (covered). The score (162) went over the 140.5 over/under total. Record: 5-2. To read the game story, CLICK HERE
  • Dec. 3 (Tuesday) — Indiana beat Sam Houston 97-71 at home as a 12.5-point favorite (covered). The score (168) went over the 153.5 over/under total. Record: 6-2. To read the game story, CLICK HERE
  • Dec. 6 (Friday) — Indiana beat Miami 76-57 at home as an 18.5-point favorite (covered). The score (133) went over the 149.5 over/under total. Record: 7-2. To read the game story, CLICK HERE
  • Dec. 9 (Monday) — Indiana beat Minnesota 82-67 at home as a 10.5-point favorite (covered). The score (149) went over the 140.5 over/under total. Record: 8-2, 1-0 in Big Ten. To read the game story, CLICK HERE
  • Dec. 13 (Friday) — Indiana lost to Nebraska 85-68 on the road as a 4.5-point underdog (did not cover). The score (153) went over the 151.5 over/under total. Record: 8-3, 1-1 in Big Ten. To read the game story, CLICK HERE
  • Dec. 21 (Saturday) — Indiana beat Chattanooga 74-65 at home as a 15.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (139) went under the 152.5 over/under total. Record: 9-3. To read the game story, CLICK HERE
  • Dec. 29 (Sunday) — Indiana beat Winthrop 77-68 at home as a 16.5-point favorite (did not cover). The score (147) went under the 156.5 over/under total. Record: 10-3. To read the game story, CLICK HERE
  • Jan. 2 (Thursday) — Indiana beat Rutgers 84-74 at home as a 5.5-point favorite (covered). The score (158) went over the 162.5 over/under total. Record: 11-3, 2-1 in Big Ten. To read the game story, CLICK HERE
  • Jan. 5 (Sunday) — Indiana beat Penn State 77-71 on the road in Philadelphia as a 7.5-point underdog (covered). The score (148) went over the 159.5 over/under total. Record: 12-3, 3-1 in Big Ten. To read the game story, CLICK HERE
  • Jan. 8 (Wednesday) — Indiana beat USC 82-69 at home as a 6.5-point favorite (covered). The score (151) went over the 148.5 over/under total. Record: 13-3, 4-1 in Big Ten. To read the game story, CLICK HERE
  • Jan. 11 (Saturday) — Indiana lost to Iowa 85-60 on the road as a 5.5-point underdog (did not cover). The score (145) went under the 165.5 over/under total. Record: 13-4, 4-2 in Big Ten. To read the game story, CLICK HERE
  • Jan. 14 (Tuesday) — Indiana lost to No. 19 Illinois 94-69 at home as a 5.5-point underdog (did not cover). The score (163) went over the 157.5 over/under total. Record: 13-5, 4-3 in Big Ten. To read the game story, CLICK HERE
  • Jan. 17 (Friday) — Indiana beat Ohio State 77-76 on the road as a 6.5-point underdog (covered). The score (153) went over the 148.5 over/under total. Record: 14-5, 5-3 in Big Ten. To read the game story, CLICK HERE
  • Jan. 22 (Wednesday) — Indiana lost to Northwestern 79-70 on the road as a 4.5-point underdog (did not cover). The score (149) went over the 140.5 over/under total. Record: 14-6, 5-4 in Big Ten. To read the game story, CLICK HERE
  • Jan. 26 (Sunday) — Indiana lost to Maryland 79-78 at home as a 2.5-point underdog (covered). The score (147) went under the 149.5 over/under total. Record: 14-7, 5-5 in Big Ten. To read the game story, CLICK HERE

What Purdue has done so far this season

Purdue is 16-5 on the season, and 8-2 in Big Ten games. They have some very impressive league victories — winning at No. 13 Oregon and blowing out No. 22 Michigan 91-64 last Saturday. They played a very difficult nonconference schedule and their three losses were all to ranked teams — No. 2 Auburn, No. 15 Marquette and No. 17 Texas A&M, all away from Mackey Arena.

Purdue is 12-9 against the spread this season, which isn't surprising considering the schedule. What's interesting is a look at common matchups in league play. Purdue has lost to Penn State and Ohio State, while Indiana has beaten both teams — on the road no less.

Here's what Purdue has done this season, both straight up and against the spread.

  • Nov. 4 (Monday): No. 14 Purdue defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 90-73 at home as a 25.5-point favorite (did not cover). The point total (163) went over the 146.5-point over/under number. Record: 1-0.
  • Nov. 8 (Friday): No. 14 Purdue defeated Northern Kentucky 72-50 at home as a 20.5-point favorite (covered). The point total (122) went under the 147.5-point over/under total. Record: 2-0.
  • Nov. 11 (Monday): No. 13 Purdue defeated Yale 92-84 at home as a 14.5-point favorite (did not cover). The point total (178) went under the 146.5-point over/under total. Record: 3-0.
  • Nov. 15 (Friday): No. 13 Purdue defeated No. 2 Alabama 87-78 at home as a 3.5-point underdog (covered). The point total (165) went under the 166.5-point over/under total. Record: 4-0.
  • Nov. 19 (Tuesday): No. 6 Purdue lost to No. 15 Marquette 76-58 on the road as a 5.5-point underdog (did not cover). The point total (134) went under the 152.5-point over/under total. Record: 4-1.
  • Nov. 23 (Saturday): No. 6 Purdue defeated Marshall 80-45 at home as a 20.5-point favorite (covered). The point total (125) went under the 148.5-point over/under total. Record: 5-1.
  • Nov. 28 (Thursday): No. 13 Purdue defeated N.C. State 71-61 in San Diego as a 6.5-point favorite (covered). The point total (132) went under the 146.5-point over/under total. Record: 6-1.
  • Nov. 29 (Friday): No. 13 Purdue defeated No. 23 Ole Miss 80-78 in San Diego as a 2.5-point favorite (did not cover). The point total (158) went over the 145.5-point over/under total. Record: 7-1.
  • Dec. 5 (Thursday): No. 8 Purdue lost to Penn State 81-70 on the road as a 2.5-point underdog (did not cover). The point total (151) went over the 148.5-point over/under total. Record: 7-2, 0-1 in the Big Ten.
  • Dec. 8 (Sunday): No. 8 Purdue beat Maryland 83-78 at home as a 4.5-point favorite (covered). The point total (161) went over the 143.5-point over/under total. Record: 8-2, 1-1 in the Big Ten.
  • Dec. 14 (Saturday): No. 11 Purdue lost to No. 17 Texas A&M 70-66 in Indianapolis as a 1.5-point favorite (did not cover). The point total (136) went under the 143.5-point over/under total. Record: 8-3, 1-1 in the Big Ten.
  • Dec. 21 (Saturday): No. 16 Purdue lost to No. 2 Auburn 87-69 in Birmingham, Ala. as a 10.5-point underdog (did not cover). The point total (156) went over the 149.5-point over/under total. Record: 8-4, 1-1 in the Big Ten.
  • Dec. 29 (Sunday): No. 21 Purdue beat Toledo 83-64 at home as a 22.5-point favorite (did not cover). The point total (147) went under the 155.5-point over/under total. Record: 9-4, 1-1 in the Big Ten.
  • Jan. 2 (Thursday): No. 20 Purdue beat Minnesota 81-61 on the road as a 5.5-point favorite (covered). The point total (142) went over the 134.5-point over/under total. Record: 10-4, 2-1 in the Big Ten.
  • Jan. 5 (Sunday): No. 20 Purdue beat Northwestern 79-61 at home as a 6.5-point favorite (covered). The point total (140) went over the 138.5-point over/under total. Record: 11-4, 3-1 in the Big Ten.
  • Jan. 9 (Thursday): No. 20 Purdue beat Rutgers 68-50 on the road as a 2.5-point favorite (covered). The point total (118) went under the 148.5-point over/under total. Record: 12-4, 4-1 in the Big Ten.
  • Jan. 12 (Sunday): No. 20 Purdue beat Nebraska 104-68 at home as an 8.5-point favorite (covered). The point total (172) went over the 141.5-point over/under total. Record: 13-4, 5-1 in the Big Ten.
  • Jan. 15 (Wednesday): No. 17 Purdue beat Washington 69-58 on the road as a 7.5-point favorite (covered). The point total (127) went under the 142.5-point over/under total. Record: 14-4, 6-1 in the Big Ten.
  • Jan. 18 (Saturday): No. 17 Purdue beat No. 13 Oregon 65-58 on the road as a 3.5-point underdog (covered). The point total (123) went under the 147.5-point over/under total. Record: 15-4, 7-1 in the Big Ten.
  • Jan. 21 (Tuesday): No. 11 Purdue lost to Ohio State 73-70 at home as a 9.5-point favorite (did not cover). The point total (143) went over the 141.5-point over/under total. Record: 15-5, 7-2 in the Big Ten.
  • Jan. 24 (Friday): No. 11 Purdue beat No. 21 Michigan 91-64 at home as a 4.5-point favorite (covered). The point total (155) went over the 149.5-point over/under total. Record: 16-5, 8-2 in the Big Ten.

Related stories on Indiana-Purdue

  • HOW TO WATCH: State rivals Indiana and Purdue play on a national stage Friday night. Here's how to watch, with gametime and TV information, plus so much more on the matchup. CLICK HERE
  • MEET THE OPPONENT: No. 10 Purdue is next for Indiana. What do the Boilermakers bring to the table? CLICK HERE.
  • INDIANA-PURDUE Q&A: Hoosiers On SI's Jack Ankony and Boilermakers On SI's Dustin Schutte discuss Friday's game. CLICK HERE.
  • INDIANA AT MACKEY, PART 1: The early years were tough on the Hoosiers ... until they built a super-team in the mid-1970s. CLICK HERE.
  • INDIANA AT MACKEY, PART 2: The Bob Knight-Gene Keady years defined the rivalry for two decades. CLICK HERE.
  • INDIANA AT MACKEY, PART 3: Marshall Strickland, Cody Zeller and Jalen Hood-Schifino are just some of the heroes for Indiana at Mackey Arena in the 21st Century. CLICK HERE.

Published |Modified
Tom Brew
TOM BREW

Tom Brew has been the publisher of “Indiana Hoosiers on SI’’ since 2019. He has worked at some of America's finest newspapers as an award-winning reporter and editor for more than four decades, including the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times, Indianapolis Star and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He operates seven sites on the “On SI’’ network. Follow Tom on Twitter @tombrewsports.