Point Spread: Boilers Big Favorites Again Friday Night vs. Northern Kentucky
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — We're still in wait-and-see mode with Purdue's basketball team this year as they move on from two-time national player of the year Zach Edey. The Boilermakers were up and down in their season opener on Monday, and are back at it again on Friday night, taking on Northern Kentucky at Mackey Arena.
The Boilermakers (1-0) are a 20.5-point favorite over the Norse, according to theFanDuel.com gambling website. The over/under is 146.5. The game starts at 7 p.m. ET on Big Ten-Plus. Here's how to watch. CLICK HERE
Purdue won 90-73 but didn't cover against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Monday night at Mackey. Northern Kentucky, which plays in the Horizon League and was 18-15 a year ago, lost their opener at Florida State.
The Norse venture out to play some top-50 teams in the nonconference, but it hasn't always gone well. Last year they lost at Washington (75-67), Cincinnati (90-66) and Saint Mary's (92-56). The year before, they beat Cincinnati and won the Horizon League tournament title. They lost to No. 1 seed Houston 63-52 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Their last trip to the state of Indiana to play a Big Ten team was to take on Indiana in Bloomington on Dec. 22, 2021. Indiana won 79-61, and covered — just barely — as a 17.5-point favorite.
Here's what Purdue has done so far. We'll update these numbers in real time throughout the season.
Purdue by the numbers
- Purdue overall record: 1-0
Purdue overall vs. spread: 0-1
- Purdue home record: 1-0
Purdue home vs. spread: 0-1
- Purdue road record: 0-0
Purdue road vs spread: 0-0
- Purdue record as favorite: 1-0
Purdue vs. spread as favorite: 0-1
- Purdue record as underdog: 0-0
Purdue vs. spread as underdog: 0-0
- Purdue over total: 1
Purdue under total: 0
Purdue results vs. spread this season
Here's what the Purdue Boilermakers have done so far this season:
- Nov. 4 (Monday): 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.
Northern Kentucky results vs. spread this seaso
- Nov. 4 (Monday): Northern Kentucky lost to Florida State 74-62 on the road as an 8.5-point underdog (did not cover). The point total (136) went under the 146.5-point over/under number.
Betting Angles
The Boilermakers blew right past the over/under total on Monday, and I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see them do that again. They've got a lot of offensive firepower. I can see Braden Smith having a big game too. He had 12 points in the opener, and I can see him getting more than that against Northern Kentucky.
Related stories on Purdue basketball
- HOW TO WATCH PURDUE-NORTHERN KENTUCKY: Purdue is set to host Northern Kentucky at Mackey Arena on Friday night. Here's everything you need to know about the nonconference showdown. CLICK HERE
- JACOBSEN LEARNING QUICKLY: Playing in the post in the Big Ten is not for the faint of heart. It's something 7-foot-4 freshman Daniel Jacobsen is learning to do on the fly. CLICK HERE
- PURDUE NEEDS TO CLEAN UP TURNOVERS: The ugliest stat line for Purdue in Monday night's opener against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi was in the turnover column. It's something the Boilers need to address moving forward.CLICK HERE
- BRADEN SMITH MAKES PURDUE HISTORY: Braden Smith dished out 15 assists in Purdue's season-opening win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Monday night, setting a new program record. CLICK HERE
- BIG TEN BASKETBALL POWER RANKINGS: Can Purdue win a third straight Big Ten title? How will the four new teams fit in? Is Indiana back? A look at the first 2024-25 basketball power rankings. CLICK HERE
Tom Brew is an award-winning journalist who's worked at some America's finest newspapers, including the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the Indianapolis Star. He also owns the book publishing company, Hilltop30 Publishing Group, and he has written four books and published 16 others.