Purdue (22-10) vs Michigan (22-9)
- When: Mar 14 2025, 9:00 PM
- Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Where to watch: BTN
Game Preview
Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals: Michigan vs. Purdue Betting Preview & Predictions
The Michigan Wolverines and Purdue Boilermakers square off in a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal matchup on Friday, with both teams looking to make a deep run and solidify their NCAA Tournament resumes. Michigan comes into this game slumping while Purdue gained momentum with a strong second-round victory.
Michigan Outlook
The Wolverines (22-9) entered the final stretch of the regular season in the mix for a Big Ten title, but a four-loss skid in their last six games derailed those hopes. They dropped three straight games heading into the conference tournament, including double-digit losses to Illinois and Michigan State.
Michigan’s biggest issue has been offensive inconsistency. Despite averaging 78.5 PPG for the season, they failed to reach 74 points in any of their last three losses.
Key Factors for Michigan
Tre Donaldson (G) – Needs to step up as the offensive catalyst. In Michigan’s best performances, he was controlling the pace and scoring at a high level.
Danny Wolf (C) & Vladislav Goldin (C) – The Wolverines’ twin towers will be critical in the paint against Purdue’s strong interior presence.
Recent Matchups vs. Purdue – Michigan won the last meeting (75-73) after surviving a last-second three-point attempt from Purdue.
Michigan hasn’t looked sharp lately, but if their big men control the paint and Donaldson finds his rhythm, they could pull off another tight win.
Purdue Outlook
The Boilermakers (22-10) started the Big Ten tournament with a gritty 76-71 win over USC in the second round, fueled by Trey Kaufman-Renn’s dominant 30-point performance.
Purdue finished the regular season on a rough note, losing five of their last seven, but Thursday’s win should give them momentum heading into the quarterfinals.
Key Factors for Purdue
Trey Kaufman-Renn (F) – Second in the Big Ten in scoring, he has been on a tear, scoring at least 22 points in 11 of his last 14 games.
Braden Smith (G) – Scored 24 points in both matchups against Michigan this season and nearly forced overtime in the last meeting.
Avoiding Slow Starts – Purdue fell behind by 10 points vs. USC, but their strong closing ability (outscoring USC 11-4 in the final minutes) could be key.
Purdue won the first meeting against Michigan in dominant fashion (91-64) but fell short 75-73 in the rematch. They will need another big game from Kaufman-Renn and improved defense to even the season series.
Betting Prediction & Best Bets
With both teams dealing with inconsistency, this game is likely to come down to who controls the paint and executes late in the game.
Best Bet: Purdue -2 – The Boilermakers have more momentum coming off their win over USC, and Kaufman-Renn has been unstoppable lately.
Lean: Over 147.5 – Both teams can score at a high level, and their previous two matchups hit 147+ points.
Expect a tight game, but Purdue should control the second half and advance to the Big Ten semifinals.
- NCAAB Odds source: Bovada Sportsbook
