Purdue March Madness Odds: First Round NCAA Tournament

The first round of the NCAA tournament features the Purdue Boilermakers, seeded first in the East Region, facing the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights, seeded 16th. Purdue plays at 6:50 p.m. ET on Friday, March 17 in Columbus, Ohio, with coverage on TNT. Current odds for this college basketball showdown have Purdue as spread favorites and moneyline favorites, with an over/under of . Here, we’ll take a look at this game as part of a wider snapshot of Purdue March Madness odds.

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Purdue vs. Fairleigh Dickinson Betting Odds

Below, bettors can find the best available Purdue March Madness odds across legal U.S. sportsbooks. Use the dropdown in the top left to change from spread betting options to moneyline or wagers on the over/under.

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Purdue Vs. Fairleigh Dickinson Player Props

Player prop odds for Purdue vs. Fairleigh Dickinson will populate below once they become available, usually a day or so before tip-off. You will often find a wider spread of prices on small markets like player props, so it’s very important to shop for the best numbers. You can also use our prop finder tool and type in a player’s name.

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Purdue March Madness Futures

Why Purdue Can Cover The Spread

They’re one of the best teams in the nation with an unstoppable monster in Zach Edey (22.3/12.8 on 60.6% shooting), and Fairleigh Dickinson might be the worst team in the field of 64. At least, that’s what KenPom’s numbers have to say, ranking the Knights 299th out of about 360 teams. Those same numbers suggest this line is a bit short, having Purdue closer to about -27. Rebounding should be ugly here, with Purdue ranked first in the country and Fairleigh 189th. Watch for the Boilers to pile up the free throws too. Only 15 teams visited the stripe more often, despite Purdue playing at a glacial pace, and the Knights were quite handsy, sending opponents there at a bottom-100 rate.

Why Fairleigh Dickinson Can Cover The Spread

Pace is probably their best hope. Purdue rates in the bottom 50 in terms of pace, which tends to make things a slog. They like to run their methodical offense and get Edey his post touches, which takes time. Accordingly, they rarely run and rank in the bottom 40 in turnovers forced. If Purdue only gets to the 60s, it won’t be easy to cover a number this high. Especially as Fairleigh Dickinson does tend to be efficient with its shooting, having the 55th-ranked offense.

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Final Thoughts

Looking over Fairleigh Dickinson’s roster, one notes that they don’t have a player over 6-foot-7. That bodes ill for their chances of slowing down Edey and getting any traction on the glass against the Boilermakers. If Purdue just has a party in the paint, their efficiency is going to be phenomenal. That being said, without going on runs that come with aid of turnovers and runouts, covering a large number can be difficult. Watch to see how the pace looks early, and look to make a live bet on Purdue at a reduced early number if they get off to a slow start.