The Purdue Boilermakers are eyeing their first Final Four since 1980, but they face a long road, and it starts Friday in the 2023 NCAA Tournament against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights. The Boilermakers (29-5) are seeded first in the East Region and rank third in the nation, and they just won the stacked Big Ten Tournament. They edged Penn State 67-65 last Sunday and now face a 16th-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson team that didn't even win the Northeast Conference. The Knights (17-15) backed into their seventh NCAA Tournament appearance, then beat Texas Southern 84-61 in a First Four game Wednesday. This is a rematch of a 1988 first-round game, when top-seeded Purdue beat FDU 94-79 on its way to the Sweet 16.
Tip-off is set for 6:50 p.m. ET at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Boilermakers as 23-point favorites in the latest Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Purdue odds, and the over/under for total points scored is 145. Before making any Purdue vs. Fairleigh Dickinson picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's Larry Hartstein.
A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach he honed while working for Pro Football Focus. He also has been SportsLine's most profitable college basketball expert. In his last 169 college basketball picks, he has gone 97-71-1, which translates to a $1,895 return for $100 bettors.
Now, he has set his sights on Purdue vs. FDU in the First Four 2023. You can head to SportsLine to see his picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for FDU vs. Purdue:
- Purdue vs. FDU spread: Boilermakers -23
- Purdue vs. FDU over/under: 145 points
- Purdue vs. FDU money line: Knights +2100, Boilermakers -10000
- FDU: The Knights are 3-2 ATS in their past five in the NCAA tourney.
- Purdue: The Boilermakers are 1-6 ATS when favored by 15 or more.
- Purdue vs. FDU picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Purdue can cover
The Boilermakers are 13-19-2 against the spread this season but went 5-3 ATS at neutral sites. FDU has a losing record on the road (8-9) and can't come close to matching up with 7-foot-4 Purdue center Zach Edey. The Knights start two guards under 5-foot-10, and their tallest regular is 6-foot-6. Edey scored at least 30 in the past two games and is sixth in the nation in scoring at 22.3 points per game. He is second in rebounding at 12.8 and blocks 2.1 shots per contest..
The Knights also have one of the nation's worst defenses, allowing 13.5 points more per game than Purdue. The Boilermakers give up 62.5 points (21st in the nation), while FDU yields 76 (330th). Purdue out-rebounds opponents by 10 per game (38.6-27.7), while the Knights are just below even (33.2-33.5). Guards Fletcher Loyer (10.8 ppg) and Braden Smith (9.8) keep the ball moving, combining for 6.8 assists. Loyer has hit 56 3-pointers, and Smith averages 1.2 steals.
Why Fairleigh Dickinson can cover
The Knights know they have nothing to lose after getting into the tournament despite losing the NEC Championship game to Merrimack, who is in the final year of their transition to Division-I so were ineligible. Still, the Knights are capable of scoring with just about any team, as they rank 38th in the nation in scoring 78.3 points per game. Six players average at least 6.5 points and at least three rebounds, led by senior guards Demetre Roberts and Grant Singleton.
Both players produce across the board, as they combine for 30.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 3.2 steals. Forward Ansley Almonor averages 14.4 points and 4.8 rebounds and has blocked 23 shots this season. All three can shoot from outside, as all three have hit at least 60 3-pointers. Between them, they make almost 37% of their attempts from long range. Purdue has lost four of its past 11 games after losing once in its first 23 and relies very heavily on Edey.
How to make Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Purdue picks
Hartstein has broken down Friday's Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Purdue matchup, and he's leaning Over the total. He also has discovered a crucial x-factor that makes one side of the spread a must-back. You can see his picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Purdue vs. Fairleigh Dickinson in Friday's NCAA Tournament matchup? And which side of the spread is a must-back? Visit SportsLine right now to see who covers in Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Purdue, all from SportsLine's No. 1 college basketball expert who has returned $1,895 on his last 169 college basketball picks, and find out.
