Ohio State vs. Purdue Prediction, Game Preview

The Ohio State Buckeyes will make the trip to West Lafayette, Ind. to visit the Purdue Boilermakers in Mackey Arena. Below is the Ohio State vs. Purdue prediction and game preview.

Ohio State vs. Purdue Game Preview

Game Broadcast

Date: Thursday, Jan. 21
Game Time: 9 p.m. ET
Venue: Mackey Arena, West Lafayette, Ind.
Network: ESPN

Why You Need To Care

Head coach Matt Painter has No. 22 Purdue playing at a high level of basketball this season with a 16-3 overall record and a 4-2 mark in Big Ten play.

The Boilermakers picked up a 17-point win over Penn State a week ago and followed it up with a 107-57 win against Rutgers on Monday.

Purdue will now return home to West Lafayette, Ind. to host Ohio State.

It’s been a brief but rough stretch for head coach Thad Matta’s Buckeyes. They’re sitting at 12-7 on the season and 4-2 in conference play, but Ohio State has lost two of its last three games.

The Buckeyes carried a seven-game winning streak into the new year, but losses to Indiana and Maryland sandwiched a 94-68 win over Rutgers during the last two weeks.

Let’s see if they can steal one on the road from Purdue.

Why Ohio State Will Win

The Buckeyes had six players score in double figures against Rutgers, but it was a different story in the loss to Maryland. Keita Bates-Diop, Jae’Sean Tate and Trevor Thompson were the only ones to reach double digits. The trio will have to get things started, but Ohio State can’t afford to shoot 37.3 percent from the field again. It’ll come down to shot selection and rebounding. Purdue is the best rebounding team in the country, so the Buckeyes will have to clean the glass to make a difference.

Why Purdue Will Win

Caleb Swanigan and A.J. Hammons lead the way on the boards, having combined for 302 rebounds this season. The Boilermakers got away with Hammons going 2-for-8 from the field against Rutgers, but he’ll have to get into a rhythm early and keep Purdue honest. If Rapheal Davis drops in some tripes, and Purdue’s second unit can find buckets, the Boilermakers will pull out a win.

What’s Going To Happen?

Hammons isn’t going to have as cold of a game as he had last time out. He’ll be more consistent shooting the basketball, and he’ll tag-team the effort on the boards with Swanigan. Rutgers’ lack of rebounding will cost them second-chance looks and limit its fast break opportunities. The Boilermakers will win this one by double digits.