Purdue Boilermakers vs Minnesota Golden Gophers Prediction, 1/2/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Purdue Boilermakers vs Minnesota Golden Gophers

Date: Thursday, January 2, 2025

Location: Williams Arena in Minneapolis, MN

TV: FS1

The Minnesota Golden Gophers (8-5) are welcoming the Purdue Boilermakers (9-4) at Williams Arena on Thursday.

The Purdue Boilermakers played Toledo and took home the win by a score of 83-64 in their last contest. Purdue finished the contest having earned a 49.2% FG percentage (31 out of 63) and buried 10 of 28 3-point attempts. From the charity stripe, the Boilermakers knocked down 11 of their 15 shots for a percentage of 73.3%. In the matter of rebounding, they compiled a total of 31 with 10 of them being of the offensive variety. They also dished out 22 assists in this contest in addition to forcing the other team into 13 turnovers and getting 9 steals. In reference to the defense, Purdue allowed their opponent to shoot 40.6% from the floor on 26 out of 64 shooting. Toledo distributed 7 assists and had 5 steals for this game. Additionally, Toledo pulled down 40 rebounds (17 offensive, 23 defensive), but didn't notch a block. Toledo finished shooting 62.5% from the free throw line by converting 10 of 16 tries. They converted 2 out of their 14 tries from downtown. When it comes to fouls, the Boilermakers walked away with 15 while Toledo totaled 13 fouls.

Braden Smith is a player who was a factor for the game. He recorded 34 points on 12 out of 22 shooting. He played for 39 mins played and snagged 4 rebounds. He ended up going 54.5% from the floor and also recorded 12 assists.

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Purdue steps onto the court with a win-loss record of 9-4 this season. They turn it over 12.0 times per game and as a team are committing 15.0 personal fouls on a nightly basis. As a unit, Purdue is snagging 33.1 rebounds per contest and has accumulated 224 dimes so far this season, which ranks 37th in the country in terms of passing. The Boilermakers are shooting 39.2% on shots from distance (111 of 283) and 71.9% from the charity stripe. They have an average of 77.0 points per game (156th in Division 1) while connecting on 48.5% from the field.

Defensively, the Boilermakers are able to force 11.3 turnovers on a nightly basis and they draw 19.2 fouls. They are surrendering 31.3% on 3-point attempts while they are 184th in college hoops in opponents PPG (71.2). The Boilermakers defensively are giving up an opponent FG percentage of 43.7% (337 of 772) and they surrender 32.6 rebounds per game as a team. They are currently ranked 263rd in college hoops in giving up assists to their opponents with 186 surrendered this year.

When they last stepped on the court, the Minnesota Golden Gophers took home the win by a final score of 90-68 when they played Morgan State. In reference to rebounds, Minnesota allowed Morgan State to get 31 in total (10 on the offensive side). They finished 36.4% from distance by hitting 4 of 11 and finished the game at 16 out of 19 from the charity stripe (84.2%). The Golden Gophers allowed Morgan State to knock down 24 of their 60 tries from the floor which left them with a rate of 40.0% for the game. At the conclusion of this game, the Golden Gophers walked away from this one shooting 31 out of 60 from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 51.7%. With regard to 3-point shots, Minnesota knocked down 13 of 29 tries (44.8%). They were able to knock down 15 of those for a rate of 62.5%. Morgan State was called for 15 personal fouls in this matchup which took the Golden Gophers to the free throw line for a total of 24 attempts. They also gave up possession of the ball 4 times, while earning 5 steals in this contest. The Golden Gophers were able to corral 25 defensive boards and 8 offensive rebounds totaling 33 for this game.

Mike Mitchell Jr. ended up being a major contributor for the Golden Gophers for the matchup. He racked up 22 points in his 24 minutes on the hardwood and totaled 1 assist for this contest. He knocked down 8 of 10 for this contest giving him a rate of 80.0%, and had 5 rebounds.

Minnesota has a record of 8-5 this year. When it comes to offense, the Golden Gophers are connecting on 44.5% from the floor, which ranks them 215th in college hoops. Minnesota has accumulated 883 points on the season (67.9 per contest) and they pull down 33.8 rebounds per game. They are earning an assist 15.9 times per game (85th in the nation) and they are giving up possession 9.9 times per game. The Golden Gophers commit 15.6 fouls every game and they connect on 64.9% from the free throw line.

The Minnesota defense gives up 32.9% on shots from beyond the arc (79 of 240) and their opposition knocks down 72.6% of their shots from the charity stripe. They have surrendered 13.5 dimes and 34.8 total boards per game, ranking them 217th and 203rd in the nation. The Golden Gophers on the defensive end are ranked 33rd in college in points allowed per game with 63.8. They are forcing 11.5 TO's per game and have allowed teams to shoot 42.0% from the floor (130th in Division 1).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Minnesota

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