Point Spread: Oddsmakers Like Purdue's Chances vs. McNeese, With Sweet 16 Ticket on Line

Purdue gets its second-straight mid-major team in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday afternoon when the No. 4-seeded Boilermakers take on a McNeese team that is 23-1 since December 14. They're favored. Here's the latest on the point spread.

Purdue guards Fletcher Loyer (2) and Braden Smith (3) slap hands during the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis last week. / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Purdue gets its second-straight mid-major team in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday afternoon when the No. 4-seeded Boilermakers take on a McNeese team that is 23-1 since Dec. 14. The game starts at 12:10 p.m. ET

A trip to the Sweet 16 is on the line — and for Purdue, that's a return home. The Midwest Regional is at Lucas Oil Stadium next Friday and Sunday.

Oddsmakers think they'll get there. According the gambling experts at FanDuel.com, Purdue is a 6,.5-point favorite over the Cowboys. The over/under is 140.5. The line opened at 5.5 on Friday so some of the early money is on Purdue.

Here's how Purdue has fared against the numbers this season:

Purdue by the numbers

• Purdue overall record: 23-11
  Purdue overall vs. spread: 18-16

• Purdue home record: 14-2
  Purdue home vs. spread: 10-6

• Purdue road record: 5-6
  Purdue road vs spread: 6-5

• Purdue neutral court record: 4-3
  Purdue road vs spread: 2-5

• Purdue record as favorite: 21-5
  Purdue vs. spread as favorite: 15-11

• Purdue record as underdog: 2-6
  Purdue vs. spread as underdog: 3-5

• Indiana over total: 18
  Indiana under total: 16

What Purdue has done so far this season

• 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.

• Jan. 31 (Friday): No. 10 Purdue beat Indiana 81-76 at home as a 12.5-point favorite (did not cover). The point total (157) went over the 146.5-point over/under total. Record: 17-5, 9-2 in the Big Ten.

• Feb. 4 (Tuesday): No. 7 Purdue beat Iowa 90-81 on the road as a 6.5-point favorite (covered). The point total (171) went over the 156.5-point over/under total. Record: 18-5,10-2 in the Big Ten.

• Feb. 7 (Friday): No. 7 Purdue beat USC 90-72 at home as a 13.5-point favorite (covered). The point total (162) went over the 145.5-point over/under total. Record: 19-5,11-2 in the Big Ten.

• Feb. 11 (Tuesday): No. 7 Purdue lost to No. 20 Michigan 75-73 on the road as a 3.5-point underdog (covered). The point total (148) went under the 153.5-point over/under total. Record: 19-6,11-3 in the Big Ten.

• Feb. 15 (Saturday): No. 7 Purdue lost to No. 16 Wisconsin 94-84 at home as a 6.5-point favorite (did not cover). The point total (178) went over the 152.5-point over/under total. Record: 19-7,11-4 in the Big Ten.

• Feb. 18 (Tuesday): No. 13 Purdue lost to No. 14 Michigan State 75-66 on the road as a 3.5-point underdog (did not cover). The point total (141) went under the 148.5-point over/under total. Record: 19-8,11-5 in the Big Ten.

• Feb. 23 (Sunday): No. 13 Purdue lost to Indiana 73-58 on the road as a 3.5-point favorite (did not cover). The point total (131) went under the 148.5-point over/under total. Record: 19-9,11-6 in the Big Ten.

• Feb. 28 (Friday): No. 20 Purdue beat UCLA 76-66 at home as a 5.5-point favorite (covered). The point total (142) went over the 138.5-point over/under total. Record: 20-9,12-6 in the Big Ten.

• March 4 (Tuesday): No. 18 Purdue beat Rutgers 100-71 at home as a 10.5-point favorite (covered). The point total (171) went over the 153.5-point over/under total. Record: 21-9,13-6 in the Big Ten.

• March 7 (Friday): No. 18 Purdue lost to Illinois 88-80 on the road as a 3.5-point underdog (did not cover). The point total (168) went over the 157.5-point over/under total. Record: 21-10,13-7 in the Big Ten.

• March 13 (Thursday): No. 20 Purdue beat USC 76-71 in the Big Ten Tournament second round as a 9.5-point favorite (did not cover). The point total (147) went under the 149.5-point over/under total. Record: 22-10,13-7 in the Big Ten.

• March 14 (Friday): No. 20 Purdue lost to No. 22 Michigan 86-68 in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals as a 2.5-point favorite (did not cover). The point total (154) went over the 147.5-point over/under total. Record: 22-11,13-7 in the Big Ten.

• March 20 (Thursday): No. 4 seed Purdue beat No. 13 seed High Point 75-63 in thge first round of the NCAA Tournament in Providence, R.I. as a 7.5-point favorite (covered). The point total (138) went under the 154.5-point over/under total. Record: 23-11,13-7 in the Big Ten.

How McNeese has fared this season

McNeese is 28-6 on the season and went 17-1 in the Southland Conference, winning the league by five games. They easily won their conference tournament and then surprised No. 5 seed Clemson on Thursday as 5.5-point underdogs.

They started the season 5-5, losing their two high-profile nonconference games to No. 2 Alabama and No. 25 Mississippi State. Since Dec. 14, thought, they've got 23-1 and have won 11 straight games.

Against the spread, McNeese is 17-17 on the year.

Related stories on Purdue-High Point

• PURDUE-McNEESE LIVE BLOG: No. 4 seed Purdue plays No. 12 seed McNeese in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday. Follow along as we provide updates throughout the game live from press row in Providence. CLICK HERE

• TOM BREW COLUMN: For the second time in two days, No. 4 seed Purdue will tangle with a pesky mid-major that doesn't remember what it's like to lose. On Saturday it's McNeese, which is 23-1 since Dec. 14. Purdue will have its hands full — again — in its second-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament. CLICK HERE

• BERG'S PROFESSIONAL APPROACH: Will Berg hasn't played much throughout the season, but when his number was called against High Point on Thursday, the sophomore center delivered in a big way. CLICK HERE

• HOW TO WATCH PURDUE-MCNEESE: No. 4 seed Purdue will play No. 12 seed McNeese with a trip to the Sweet 16 at stake. Television and radio information, top players, key stats and more. CLICK HERE