by Two weeks ago, Purdue seemed headed for the Big Ten title as the Boilermakers enjoyed an 11-1 league record, a multigame lead in the conference standings and a No. 1 ranking. 1 of the country. But since then, the Boilermakers (23-4, 12-4 Big Ten) have dropped three of four games as they prepare to host Ohio State on Sunday during their Big Ten opener on CBS.
Purdue, now ranked No. 3, remains the No. 1 seed. 1 projected for the NCAA Tournament in Bracketology, CBS Sports expert Jerry Palm. But the Boilermakers can’t hand a home loss to the struggling Buckeyes (11-5, 3-12) if they want to enter the final stretch of the regular season with any cushion in the conference standings.
Ohio State has lost 12 of its last 13 games since starting 2-0 in Big Ten play, and the Buckeyes were blown out again Thursday night in a 92-75 loss at Iowa. OSU shot 57% from the floor and made all 11 of its free-throw attempts, but the Hawkeyes dominated in points off turnovers and second-chance points as the Buckeyes looked overmatched again.
Purdue led Maryland 28-25 at halftime on Thursday but ran into a buzzsaw in the second half as the Terrapins shot 63% from the floor after halftime and opened up an 18-point lead along the way to win 68-54. Thankfully for the Boilermakers, three of their last four games are at home after their last three losses have come from Mackey Arena.
From a play-by-play standpoint, the game pits some of the best freshmen in the Big Ten against each other as dynamic Ohio State forward Brice Sensabaugh takes on Purdue’s guard duo of Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer.
When these teams met back on January 5th, Purdue cruised to a 71-69 road victory behind a 13-of-31 performance from beyond the arc. Smith and Loyer made 3 of 6 attempts from 3-point range to hand Ohio State its first loss of the series. If the rematch is as competitive as the first game, we have a good game.
How to watch Purdue vs Ohio State live
Date: Sunday, February 19 | Time: 1 pm ET
Location: Mackey Arena — West Lafayette, Indiana
television: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
Purdue vs. Ohio State predictions, picks
Featured Game | Purdue Boilers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
Purdue should be angry after getting hit in the gut in the second half of Thursday’s 68-54 loss at Maryland. The Boilermakers are returning home with a chip on their shoulder after three losses in their last four games to chase their Big Ten title hopes and No. 1 seed. 1 in the NCAA Tournament to suddenly jeopardize. Look for this team to respond with an edge in front of their home crowd and easily handle an Ohio State team that no longer looks competitive. Prediction: Purdue -12.5
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