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Eastern Kentucky Colonels @ Purdue Boilermakers

Current Records: Eastern Kentucky 4-8, Purdue 11-1

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If the oddsmakers' predictions hold true, the near future looks bright for Purdue. They will finish 2023 at home by hosting the Eastern Kentucky Colonels at 7:00 p.m. ET on Friday at Mackey Arena. The timing is sure in Purdue's favor as the squad sits on seven straight wins at home (dating back to last season) while Eastern Kentucky has not had much luck on the away from home, with six straight road losses dating back to last season.

Purdue scored the most points they've had all season to find success last Thursday. They blew past the Dolphins, posting a 100-57 victory at home. Purdue might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team's won five matchups by 19 points or more this season.

Purdue's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Zach Edey led the charge by scoring 18 points along with eight rebounds. Another player making a difference was Lance Jones, who scored 16 points along with three steals.

Meanwhile, the oddsmakers set the bar high, but Eastern Kentucky and Alabama didn't disappoint and broke past the 167 point over/under on Saturday. The Colonels were dealt a punishing 111-67 loss at the hands of the Crimson Tide. Eastern Kentucky was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 61-32.

Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the most dominant came from Isaiah Cozart, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 12 rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Michael Moreno, who went 6 for 9 from beyond the arc en route to 18 points and 0 assists.

Sadly, the team struggled as a group when it came to assists: Eastern Kentucky struggled to work together and finished the game with only eight assists. They were dismantled by their opponents in that department as Alabama racked up 29 assists.

The Boilermakers' victory bumped their record up to 11-1. As for the Colonels, they have not been sharp recently, as they've lost six of their last seven games, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-8 record this season.

Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as both teams are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Purdue hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 87.3 points per game. However, it's not like Eastern Kentucky struggles in that department as they've been averaging 84.7 points per game. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.

The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Boilermakers as a 29.5-point favorite.


The over/under is set at 157 points.

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