Purdue Boilermakers vs Minnesota Golden Gophers NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/2/25

Betting on today’s Boilermakers and Golden Gophers game? Catch the action at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, MN, as the Golden Gophers hosts this showdown at 8:00 ET on FS1. In this Big Ten matchup, Purdue is favored bt -6.5 vs. Minnesota. The over/under for the game is 136.5 points.

PURDUE BOILERMAKERS VS MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Minnesota Golden Gophers +6.5

This game will be played at Williams Arena at 8:00 ET on Thursday, January 2nd.

WHY BET THE MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-69 in favor of the Golden Gophers.
• Not only will Minnesota pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +6.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 136.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 145 points.

Do the Boilermakers Stand a Chance on the Road?

Purdue improved to 9-4 on the season with an 83-64 win over Toledo on Sunday. Playing at home, the Boilermakers were -20.5 favorites but didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 147 fell short of the 155.5 O/U line.

Purdue led 39-28 at halftime and added 44 points in the 2nd half while allowing 36. Though they didn’t cover the spread, the Boilermakers controlled the game and picked up another win.

Purdue put up 83 points in their last game, shooting 49.2% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 57.1%. They connected on 60% of their two-point attempts and hit 35.7% from beyond the arc, making 10 of 28 threes. At the free-throw line, they shot 73.3%, hitting 11 of 15 attempts.

Braden Smith led the way with 34 points and 12 assists, shooting 54.5% overall and 46.2% from three (6/13). Trey Kaufman-Renn added 23 points, making 11 of 14 shots, while Fletcher Loyer contributed 17 points, hitting 4 of 7 from deep.

Even though Purdue gave up 64 points, they allowed their opponent to shoot 49% from the field, including 60% on two-point attempts, where they went 21/35. From beyond the arc, Purdue’s defense allowed 10 threes on 28 attempts, a 35% shooting rate.

At the free-throw line, Purdue’s opponent shot 73%, making 11 out of 15 attempts. Purdue also gave up 12 offensive rebounds in the game.

Will the Golden Gophers Come Through as Home Underdogs?

Minnesota improved to 8-5 on the season with a 90-68 win over Morgan State on Sunday. The Golden Gophers were heavy favorites at home, but they didn’t cover the -24 spread. The game’s total points hit 158, surpassing the over/under line of 144.5.

Minnesota took control early, leading 55-37 at halftime. In the second half, they scored 35 points while allowing 31, showing a more balanced but less dominant performance after the break.

In their last game, Minnesota’s offense put up 90 points, shooting 51.7% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 63.3%. They hit 13 threes at a 44.8% clip, and connected on 58.1% of their two-point attempts.

Kameron Hobbs led the way with 25 points and 4 assists, while Mike Mitchell Jr. added 22 points, hitting 6 of 8 from deep. Dawson Garcia contributed 18 points, making 4 of 5 threes, and Parker Fox shot 80% from the field in limited minutes.

Even with Minnesota’s defense giving up 68 points, they struggled to contain their opponent, who shot 51% from the field, including 58% on two-point attempts. The Golden Gophers allowed 31 made field goals on 60 attempts.

From beyond the arc, Minnesota’s defense gave up 13 threes on 29 attempts, a 44% shooting performance. They also sent their opponent to the line 24 times, where they hit 15 free throws, shooting 62%. The Golden Gophers allowed 9 offensive rebounds.