Purdue vs Penn State Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for March 12 Big Ten Championship (Back the Underdog in Chicago)

Purdue vs Penn State Game Info

• 2022-23 NCAA Basketball Big Ten Tournament Championship
• No. 5 Purdue (28-5, 15-5 Big Ten) vs. Penn State (22-12, 10-10 Big Ten)
• Date: Sunday, March 12, 2023
• Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
• Venue: United Center -- Chicago, Illinois
• Coverage: CBS

An automatic spot in the NCAA Tournament is up for grabs when the Penn State Nittany Lions and Purdue Boilermakers meet in the Big Ten Championship on Sunday. Penn State is looking to earn its first conference title in school history while Purdue is aiming to capture its second Big Ten title (2009).

Penn State took down Indiana by a score of 77-73 in the semifinals to earn its third straight upset win in the conference tournament. Meanwhile, Purdue pulled away from Ohio State in an 80-66 semifinals win to earn its fourth straight victory.

Which Big Ten team will come out on top at the United Center? Let's dive in.

Purdue vs Penn State Odds & Spread

• All college basketball betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: PURDUE: (-330) | PENNST: (+260)
• Spread: PURDUE: -7.5 (-110) | PENNST: +7.5 (-110)
• Total: 134.5 -- Over: (-115) | Under: (-105)

Purdue enters this contest as a clear favorite on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 3:30 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 134.5 points, which is about average compared to Sunday's projected totals.

Purdue vs Penn State Betting Trends

• Against the spread, Purdue is 14-19-0 this season.
• The Boilermakers have an ATS record of 9-15 as 5.5-point favorites or more.
• There have been 15 Purdue's games (out of 33) that went over the total this season.
• Penn State has covered the spread 19 times in 33 games.
• As a 5.5-point underdog or greater, the Nittany Lions have two wins ATS (2-3).
• This season, 19 of Penn State's 33 games have gone over the point total.

Purdue Rank	Purdue AVG		Penn State AVG	Penn State Rank
136th	73.3	Points Scored	72.5	159th
22nd	62.7	Points Allowed	68.4	124th
9th	36.2	Rebounds	30.1	271st
15th	11	Off. Rebounds	5.3	358th
230th	6.9	3pt Made	10.5	4th
31st	15.5	Assists	13.9	113th
44th	10.5	Turnovers	8.4	4th

Purdue vs Penn State Prediction & Pick

It was only a few weeks ago that the Nittany Lions were considered to be on the outs when it came to the NCAA Tournament. Penn State is now well within the field and could make one last statement with a win over Purdue.

The Boilermakers are not a team anyone should want to face at this point, though. Zach Edey is garnering player of the year recognition, and rightfully so as his 7-foot-4 frame changes Purdue's offense for the better. The junior is coming off a game in which he tallied 32 points and 14 rebounds. Torching a Penn State team that ranks 230th in defensive efficiency shouldn't be too hard.

Purdue has won six straight games against Penn State, so trust the Boilermakers to get the job done.

Final Score Prediction: Purdue: 71 | Penn State: 65

Purdue vs Penn State Best Bet

Purdue has a great chance at earning its second Big Ten title in school history, but it does not have a great chance at covering a 7.5-point spread. The Boilermakers are only 1-4 against the spread (ATS) in their last five games overall, while the Nittany Lions are a reliable 4-1 ATS in their last five games.

Penn State is also 10-1 against the spread (ATS) in its last 11 games in March, which goes to show it knows how to ball out when the lights are brightest. The Nittany Lions also rank eighth in three-point shooting percentage (38.7%), which gives them a chance to compete with any team in the sport.

Bet: Penn State Nittany Lions +7.5 (-110)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.