Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Purdue Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
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Nik Kowalski
The Fairleigh Dickinson Knights have officially qualified for the Round of 64 and up next is No. 1 Purdue. The Knights are coming off a 23-point win over Texas Southern in the First Four Wednesday, a contest Fairleigh Dickinson never trailed in. The win is the latest step in the right direction for the No. 16 Knights, a program that won four basketball games in 2021–22. Friday against the Boilermakers will be Fairleigh Dickinson’s seventh tournament appearance.
The Boilermakers went 29-5 this season and are coming off a Big Ten tournament victory.
Tip-off at Nationwide Arena goes at 6:50 p.m. EDT with Purdue a massive 23-point favourite and the over-under listed at 145 on the NCAAB odds.
Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Purdue NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
Purdue finished a perfect 8-0 in neutral site games this season and come into Friday on a five-game win streak overall. Covering the spread hasn’t been as easy for the Boilermakers though as they are 1-5 ATS in their last six games. Fairleigh Dickinson has covered in four of their last five outings. They are also 6-1 ATS in their last seven times being an underdog.
Five of the Knights last seven games have finished under the total. The Boilermakers only allowed 62.7 points per game this season and haven’t scored over 76 points on offence since February 19.
Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (16)
Friday can quite literally be coined as David vs. Goliath when considering Fairleigh Dickinson is the smallest team in Division I play which an average height of 6’1. To reiterate, Purdue’s consensus All-American Zach Edey stands at 7’4. The Knights rank 361st of 363 teams in efficiency (per KenPom) so head coach Tobin Anderson will have his hands full for Edey and co.
Senior guards Demetre Roberts (16.7 points per game, 4.3 assists per game) and Grant Singleton 14.3 points per game, 1.9 assists per game) are the Knights top two options on offence. On Wednesday the entire starting five finished in double-digit scoring. Sophomore forward Ansley Almonor had a game-high 23 points and was five for eight from the arc.
Purdue Boilermakers (1)
Edey closed out the Big Ten tournament with back-to-back 30-point nights, racking up 27 rebounds too in Purdue’s wins over Ohio State and Penn State. The Canadian big man averaged over 22 points and nearly 13 rebounds an outing, and production like that should get the Boilermakers a long way.
After Edey the Boilermakers lack some experience, as freshmen Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith are next in scoring. Loyer is coming in on a cold streak with a total of 15 points in his last four games while shooting two for 20 from the field. Smith was zero for eight from the field in Sunday’s tournament win too, so may the moment be too big for Purdue?
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