🏀 College Basketball Predictions Today: Should Purdue Fear Michigan State?

The madness hasn't taken a day off this week, and even with just one game tonight involving ranked teams, college basketball takes center stage once again.

With No. 13 Michigan State vs. No. 8 Purdue being by far the biggest game on the slate, my college basketball predictions today are locked in on Sparty's showdown with the Boilermakers, as well as the mid-major doubleheader on ESPN2.

🏀 College basketball predictions today: Best player props & ATS picks

See all of our experts' college basketball picks based on the latest college basketball odds; picks rated on a 1-to-5 star confidence scale based on betting value.

Total wagered: 3.5 units | Max profit: 3.92 units

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Michigan State vs. Purdue prediction: Michigan State +8 (-110) at Purdue

Purdue is among the toughest teams in the country to get a read on. The Boilermakers entered the season as March Madness odds favorites, but are just 5-4 over the last month and 4-9 ATS since early January. 

As talented as Matt Painter's team is, it's been outscored 256 to 242 in its last three games against ranked Big Ten teams - two of those were at Mackey Arena.

Michigan State's defense will be the key; it's ranked No. 6 in adjusted efficiency. Tom Izzo's team has also shown up in its biggest games, going 5-2 ATS against top 25 teams.

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Michigan State vs. Purdue prediction: Jeremy Fears Jr. 10+ assists (+220) at Purdue

If Michigan State is going to keep it close on the road against Purdue, Jeremy Fears Jr. needs to keep playing like an All-American. Fears leads the country in APG (9.2) and is ranked No. 6 in OBPR (per EvanMiya), and he's only getting better.

Over his last five games, the sophomore is averaging 11.2 APG and has gone for double digits apples four times. Against ranked opponents, he's averaging 10.1 APG.

Purdue's defense has been shaky this season, ranking outside the top in field-goal percentage (46.4%) and assists allowed per game (14.6) in Big Ten play.

Temple vs. FAU prediction: FAU -4.5 (-110) vs. Temple

Two desperate owls will attempt to take flight tonight, with both Temple and FAU looking to break losing skids. But FAU already proved to have sharper talons than Temple when it flew into the Owls' barn and won by six in January. 

Temple has lost four games in a row, with both its road losses coming by double digits. Adam Fisher's team doesn't have the offensive firepower to keep up with FAU.

The Florida-based Owls are top 100 in the country in PPG (80.0) and adjusted tempo, with a quartet of guards averaging more than 12 PPG.

Wichita State vs. Memphis prediction: Wichita State ML (+100) at Memphis

Every Memphis fan must be checking what Penny Hardaway's buyout is at this point (approximately $7.2 million). The Tigers have fallen off a cliff down the stretch, losing eight of their last 13 games, including four straight.

Memphis isn't even competitive anymore, losing its last three games by an average margin of 18.6 points. And while this isn't Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet's 35-0 Wichita State team, the Shockers are top 130 in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency.

Wichita State has won eight of its last 10, and beat Memphis by 15 last month.

💡 How I'm betting college basketball today

Follow all of our college basketball analysis and expert predictions this season.

Thursdays are the quietest night of the week in college basketball, but the hoops gods have rewarded us with a colossal matchup in the Big Ten. Given how massive Michigan State vs. Purdue is, I'm putting multiple units on the game.

The Spartans have been competitive in most of their ranked matchups this year, while the Boilermakers have been shaky. That's why I'm on Michigan State +8, and would take the Spartans to cover at any number above +6. Betting on Fears goes hand in hand with backing the Spartans.

The other two games are interesting enough that I'll be tuned in, and I think in both cases our best March Madness betting sites are undervaluing the teams I'm backing. I'd take FAU to cover up to -5.5 and Wichita State moneyline at anything shorter than -140. 

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With Michigan State vs. Purdue being the biggest game on the schedule, it's a must-bet for me. As for FAU and Wichita State, I like their matchups, and those games are on national TV, which is a bonus.