Number 20 Purdue heads to Minneapolis to face unranked Minnesota on Thursday night. The game is at 8:00 PM ET on FS1. Can Minnesota cover the 6.5-point spread as home underdogs? Keep reading for our Purdue vs. Minnesota prediction.
The Purdue Boilermakers are 9-4 straight up in the regular season this year. They are 5-8 ATS this season.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are 8-5 straight up in the regular season this year. They are 1-10-2 ATS this season.
Purdue vs. Minnesota Matchup & Betting Odds
781 Purdue Boilermakers (-6.5) at 782 Minnesota Golden Gophers (+6.5); o/u 136.5
8:00 p.m. ET, Thursday, January 2, 2025
Williams Arena, Minneapolis, MN
TV: FS1
Purdue vs. Minnesota Public Betting Information
Our CBB Public Betting Information page indicates that 80% of public bettors are currently backing Purdue when it comes to the spread. This information is subject to change throughout the day, however, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
Purdue Boilermakers Game Notes
Boilermakers guard Braden Smith went off in his team’s 83-64 win over Toledo last Sunday. The 6-foot junior recorded 34 points, 4 rebounds, 12 assists, and 3 steals. Smith shot 12 of 22 from the floor and 6 of 13 from long distance in the victory.
Purdue forward Trey Kaufman-Renn also played well in his team’s game last weekend. The 6’9” junior from Sellersburg, IN logged 23 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal in 28 minutes of game action. Kaufman-Renn leads the team in scoring with 18.3 points per game this year.
Minnesota Golden Gophers Game Notes
Golden Gophers guard Mike Mitchell Jr. was terrific in his team’s 90-68 win over Morgan State this past Sunday. The Pepperdine transfer registered 22 points, 5 rebounds, and an assist. Mitchell shot 8 of 10 from the field and 6 of 8 from long range in the win.
Minnesota forward Dawson Garcia was also solid in his team’s game on Sunday. The 6’11” senior from Savage, MN accumulated 18 points, 8 rebounds, an assist, a steal, 3 blocked shots, and 4 made three-pointers. Garcia leads Minnesota in scoring this season with 19.1 points per contest.
Purdue vs. Minnesota CBB Betting Trends
Purdue is 4-5 ATS as a road favorite since the start of last season.
The Boilermakers are 3-6-1 ATS in their last 10 games against Minnesota.
Minnesota is 5-1 ATS as a home underdog since the start of last season.
Minnesota is 14-9 ATS in conference games since the beginning of last season.
Purdue vs. Minnesota CBB Prediction:
I like the Golden Gophers in a contrarian play on Thursday night. Minnesota currently has the worst ATS record in college basketball this season at 1-10-2. That number has caused oddsmakers to inflate this line a couple of points higher than it likely should be. The bookmakers setting the lines likely don’t want people to be able to keep betting against Minnesota and winning.
For what it’s worth, Minnesota isn’t a terrible team this season, they just have a few tough losses and haven’t been blowing out bad teams by enough to cover. The Gophers have won their last 2 contests by double digits, but they failed to cover in either case. Minnesota won’t have to win to cover here, they’ll just have to finish the game with the score within 2 possessions. I think that’s very doable. I’m taking the Golden Gophers and the points at home in this one.