Point Spread: Purdue Double-Digit Favorite in Huge Showdown With Rutgers

Rutgers was the first team to beat Purdue this season, back in December when the Boilermakers had just ascended to No. 1 in the country, and now Purdue gets a chance at revenge on Sunday. They have opened as a huge double-digit favorite, which is something of a surprise.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue has four games left in the regular season, and three of them are against teams that have already beaten them this season. The redemption run starts on Sunday with a home game against Rutgers.

The Scarlet Knights have had some magical moments so far this season. They beat Purdue just a few days before they became ranked No. 1 in the country for the first time ever in early December.

And now these past two weeks, they have beaten four straight ranked teams as an unranked team, something that hasn't happened ever in NCAA history. Sunday's. game starts at 5:30 p.m. ET. 

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Purdue has gone 6-1 in this last hectic stretch of seven games in 18 days, but they've covered in only two of those games. So, somewhat surprisingly, they are a 12-point favorite on Sunday against Rutgers.

Purdue is 23-4 overall and 12-4 in the Big Ten, tied with 12-4 Illinois, and a half-game ahead of Wisconsin, who also plays on Sunday. They have been favored in 26 of their first 27 games, and won and covered Wednesday — just barely — at Northwestern.

The Boilermakers are 14-13 against the spread, and are 9-7 in games in West Lafayette. In true road games, they are 3-5 against the spread.

Here's what the Boilermakers have done so far this season:

• Nov. 9 — Beat Bellarmine 96-67 as a 24.5-point favorite (won)
• Nov. 12 — Beat Indiana State 92-67 as a 22.5-point favorite (won)
• Nov. 16 — Beat Wright State 96-52 as a 16-point favorite (won)
• Nov. 20 — Beat No. 18 North Carolina 93-84 in Uncasville, Conn. as a 7.5-point favorite (won)
• Nov. 21 — Beat No. 5 Villanova 80-74 in Uncasville, Conn. as a 3-point favorite (won)
• Nov. 26 — Beat Omaha 97-40 as a 36.5-point favorite (won)
• Nov. 30— Beat Florida State 93-65 as a 11.5-point favorite (won)
• Dec. 3 — Beat Iowa 77-70 as a 15.5-point favorite (lost)
• Dec. 9 — Lost at Rutgers 70-68 as a 13.5-point favorite (lost)
• Dec. 12 — Beat N.C. State 82-72 in OT in Brooklyn as a 14.5-point favorite (lost)
• Dec. 18 — Beat Butler 77-48 in Indianapolis as a 15.5-point favorite (won)
• Dec. 20 — Beat Incarnate Word 79-59 as a 39-point favorite (lost)
• Dec. 29 — Beat Nicholls 104-90 as a 28.5-point favorite (lost)
• Jan. 3— Lost to No. 22 Wisconsin 74-69 as a 12.5-point favorite (lost)
• Jan. 8— Won at Penn State 74-67 as a 9.5-point favorite (lost)
• Jan. 14— Beat Nebraska 92-65 as a 20.5-point favorite (won)
• Jan. 17— Won at No. 17 Illinois 96-88 in 2-OT as a 1.5-point underdog (won)
• Jan. 20 — Lost at Indiana 68-65 as a 3.5-point favorite (lost)
• Jan. 23 — Beat Northwestern 80-60 as a 12-point favorite (won)
• Jan. 27 — Won at Iowa 83-73 as a 2.5-point favorite (won)
• Jan. 30 — Beat No. 16 Ohio State 81-78 as a 9-point favorite (lost)
• Feb. 3 — Won at Minnesota 88-73 as an 11-point favorite (won)
• Feb. 5 — Beat Michigan 83-76 as a 9.5-point favorite (lost)
• Feb. 8 — Beat No. 13 Illinois 84-68 as a 6-point favorite (won)
• Feb. 10 — Lost at Michigan 82-58 as a 4-point favorite (lost)
• Feb. 13 — Beat Maryland 62-61 as a 16.5-point favorite (lost)
• Feb. 16 — Beat Northwestern 70-64 as a 6.5-point favorite (lost)

Rutgers is 16-9 over, but 10-5 in the Big Ten and suddenly in the thick of the conference race after beating four straight ranked teams, something that's never happened before in NCAA play by an unranked team.

The Scarlet Knights are 12-13 against the spread this season. They are 3-7 in true road games, both straight up and against the spread, though not in the same games. But they have covered in five straight games. 

Here's what the Scarlet Knights have done versus the number this season:

• Nov. 10 — Beat Lehigh 73-70 in OT as a 20.5-point favorite (lost)
• Nov. 13 — Beat Merrimack 48-35 as a 14-point favorite (lost)
• Nov. 16 — Beat NJIT 75-61  as an 18.5-point favorite (lost)
• Nov. 18 — Lost at DePaul 73-70 as a 3.5-point favorite (lost)
• Nov. 22 — Lost to Lafayette 53-50 as a 19.5-point favorite (lost)
• Nov. 27 — Lost at Massachusetts 85-83 as a 2.5-point favorite (lost)
• Nov. 30— Beat Clemson 74-64 in ACC/Big Ten Challenge as a 1.5-point favorite (won)
• Dec. 3 — Lost at Illinois 86-51 as a 9.5-point underdog (lost)
• Dec. 9 — Beat No. 1 Purdue 70-68 as a 13.5-point underdog (won)
• Dec. 12 — Lost at Seton Hall 77-63 as a 8.5-point favorite (lost)
• Dec. 18 — Versus Rider cancelled (COVID)
• Dec. 23 — Versus Central Connecticut postponed (COVID) 
• Dec. 30 — Beat Maine 80-64 as a 25.5-point favorite (lost)
• Jan. 1— Beat Central Connecticut 79-48 as a 23.5-point favorite (won)
• Jan. 4— Beat Michigan 75-67 as a 3.5-point underdog (won)
• Jan. 8— Beat Nebraska 93-65 as a 8.5-point favorite (won)
• Jan. 11— Lost at Penn State 66-49 as a 2.5-point underdog (lost)
• Jan. 15 — Won at Maryland 70-59 as a 3.5-point underdog (won)
• Jan. 19 — Beat Iowa 48-46 as a 3-point underdog (won)
• Jan. 22 — Lost at Minnesota 68-65 as a 4.5-point favorite (lost)
• Jan. 25 — Lost to Maryland 68-60 as a 3.5-point favorite (lost)
• Jan. 29 — Won at Nebraska 63-61 as a 3.5-point favorite (lost)
• Feb. 1 — Lost at Northwestern 79-78 in OT as a 5-point underdog (won)
• Feb. 5 — Beat No. 13 Michigan State 83-64 as a 2.5-point underdog (won)
• Feb. 9 — Beat No. 16 Ohio State 66-64 as a 3-point underdog (won)
• Feb. 12 — Won at No. 14 Wisconsin 73-65 as an 8.5-point underdog (won)
• Feb. 16 — Beat No. 12  Illinois 70-59 as a 4.5-point underdog (won)

Rutgers was just 2-8 against the spread in its first 10 games, but that included an outright win over then No. 1 Purdue as a 13.5-point underdog.

Since then, they are 10-5 against the spread and have covered in five straight games.They were underdogs against the four ranked teams in this recent straight, and won outright. It's the first time in NCAA history that an unranked team has beaten four ranked teams consecutively.