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The 2021 Crossroads Classic is set for Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, with a top-five team involved in the opener. The No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers face the Butler Bulldogs in a game between in-state foes, and Purdue attempts to maintain its elite profile. Purdue has wins over North Carolina, Villanova, Florida State and Iowa this season, posting a 9-1 record. Butler is 7-3 overall and riding a four-game winning streak that includes an overtime win over Oklahoma.

Tipoff is set for noon ET. The Boilermakers are 15.5-point favorites in the latest Purdue vs. Butler odds from Caesars Sportsbook. The over-under for total point is set at 132.5. Before locking in any Butler vs. Purdue picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model. 

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,400 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Butler vs. Purdue, and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several college basketball odds and betting lines for Purdue vs. Butler:

  • Purdue vs. Butler spread: Purdue -15.5 
  • Purdue vs. Butler over-under: 132.5 points  
  • Purdue vs. Butler money line: Purdue -1600, Butler +850
  • BUT: The Bulldogs are 3-7 against the spread in the last 10 games 
  • PUR: The Boilermakers are 6-4 against the spread in the last 10 games

Why Butler can cover

The Bulldogs aren't as talented as the Boilermakers, but Butler has some notable advantages. Butler is holding opponents to just 28.0 percent 3-point shooting this season, and the Bulldogs are securing more than 77 percent of available defensive rebounds. Butler is also above-average in preventing free-throw attempts on defense and creating them on offense. 

The Bulldogs have an impressive offensive rebound rate of 30.4 percent, and Butler is connecting on 35 percent of 3-point offerings this season. Finally, Purdue struggles to create turnovers, ranking outside the top 300 in the country turnover percentage with a very low 8.5 percent steal rate.

Why Purdue can cover

The Boilermakers are virtually unstoppable on offense. Purdue ranks No. 1 in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency, and Matt Painter's team is scoring 87.4 points per game. Purdue also has a trio of elite players in Jaden Ivey, Zach Edey and Trevion Williams. Ivey leads the team with 16.4 points per game, and the hyper-athletic guard is a projected lottery pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Edey is a massive 7-footer averaging 14.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, and Williams adds further interior presence with 14.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per contest. 

Purdue is No. 3 in the country in shooting efficiency, connecting on 40.3 percent of 3-point attempts and 59.2 percent of 2-point offerings. With that shooting combined with a 38.8 percent offensive rebound rate and a top-20 national mark in free-throw attempt rate, the Boilermakers simply come in waves and make life difficult on opposing defenses.

How to make Butler vs. Purdue picks

SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 139 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the model's Purdue vs. Butler pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Butler vs. Purdue? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Butler vs. Purdue spread you need to jump on Saturday, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.