2 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for Purdue at Michigan

The college basketball season is rolling along, giving us plentiful betting options with so many teams in action each day.

Fortunately, we have abundant tools available that can aid our chances of finding good betting value. Bart Torvik and KenPom are excellent sources that give insights into team-level efficiency, and Sports Reference provides a wide range of useful team stats, as well.

Tuesday's slate of 7 p.m. ET college basketball games features three top-25 matchups, one of which is No. 7 Purdue paying a visit to No. 20 Michigan. The Boilermakers are 9-1 over their last 10 games while the Wolverines are riding a 4-game winning streak.

Let's check out FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball odds and select some of the best bets for this top-25 matchup between Purdue and Michigan

Please note lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

Purdue at Michigan Betting Picks

Michigan -1.5 (-120)

According to Bart Torvik, Purdue ranks 9th while Michigan is 18th. It's not a huge difference, but this still suggests the two are closer than the AP Top 25 Poll claims -- which should be often taken with a grain of salt.

With that said, the Boilermakers ranking 7th in adjusted offensive efficiency is the big difference in this matchup as the Wolverines are 21st in the category while both defenses are outside the top 20. However, Michigan sports the much more encouraging shot distributions.

Only 29.6% of Purdue's shots are considered "close twos" (3rd percentile) while 37.8% take place from three (43rd percentile). For comparison, Michigan is in the 82nd percentiles for close twos and three-point shot distributions. Ideal shot selection is usually going to lead to better efficiency.

The Wolverines average 81.7 points per game (94th percentile) and have a 57.3 effective field goal percentage (98th percentile). Meanwhile, the Boilermakers total 78.7 PPG (85th percentile) and sport a 56.7 eFG% (97th percentile).

Purdue is in the 18th percentile of three-point shot distribution allowed compared to Michigan ranking in the 62nd percentile of the category. The Boilermakers tend to lean on threes, and for a team that is in the 76th percentile for the slowest paces in college basketball, taking this away could be devastating.

The three-point battle could decide this one with the Wolverines in the 81st percentile of three-point percentage and makes per game. Bart Torvik's game projections have Michigan winning 75-73, suggesting a cover.

Danny Wolf to Make 2+ Threes (+148)

If you haven't gotten familiar with Danny Wolf, brush up before March. The Wolverines' big man is a do-it-all player as one of the best frontcourt passers in America while shooting a sweet 36.8% from beyond the arc.

Wolf has enjoyed a lot of success in the scoring department of recent, putting up 17.0 PPG over his last three compared to his season-long average of 12.7 PPG. He's cashed in two three-pointers in two of his last four. With the odds at +148 for two made threes, I love this pick.

We mentioned Purdue's concerning perimeter defense and Michigan's three-point volume. Wolf is apart of this by taking 32.5% of his field goal attempts from three-point land. At 7 foot, he will have a size advantage tonight as the Boilermakers will probably throw Trey Kaufman-Renn (6'9") and/or Camden Heide 6'7") at Wolf.

Defending the Wolverines' frontcourt is a unique challenge, and it's mostly thanks to Wolf's versatility at the four spot. Along with the Michigan cover, I'm expecting Wolf to have his way.

The three-point shots should be present, and Purdue gives up 4.1 three-point attempts per 40 minutes to centers in conference play (the most in the Big Ten). Kaufman-Renn (1.35) and Heide (1.21) have underwhelming Defensive Bayesian Performance Ratings (DBPR) too -- per EvanMiya.

Wolf has an ideal matchup to keep making it rain from three.

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Which bets stand out to you across the nation tonight? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest college basketball betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.