If the Purdue Boilermakers could bottle up what they do in the regular season come March, we’d be talking about one of the elite championship programs in the country.
Instead, after another early flameout as a 1-seed last year, we’re left to watch their dominant performances this season, only to wonder if this will matter come tourney time.
The No. 3-ranked Boilermakers are heavy favorites in the college basketball odds Monday night when they host the Xavier Musketeers in a battle of 2-0 teams.
After crushing the early opposition, how does Purdue handle the Big East's Musketeers – their first legitimate opponent this season? Read our free college basketball picks below to find out.
Xavier vs Purdue best odds
Xavier vs Purdue picks and predictions
When talking about the Purdue Boilermakers — the favorite to win the Big Ten this year — their hopes center around big man Zach Edey.
The towering 7-foot-4 Canadian has been impressive in his short stints. His efforts have helped the Boilermakers race out to big leads, limiting him to an average of 22 minutes a game through their 2-0 start.
Last time out, Edey led the attack as part of a 15-0 run to open the game, in what would turn into an 87-57 demolition of Morehead State. He posted four points, four rebounds and three assists in that opening spurt, finishing with 18 points on 5-for-8 shooting, eight boards, and three blocks.
He didn’t attempt a shot in the first 11+ minutes in the opener against Samford, but Edey was heavily involved, leading a smothering defense as the ‘Makers cruised in a 98-45 rout. Purdue jumped out 11-0 and never looked back, crushing the Bulldogs 51-17 in the first half.
Edey recorded four of the team’s 10 blocks, adding 16 points and 11 rebounds. Xavier should provide some more resistance, though it’s hard to know how strong their defense is yet after impressive wins over lesser competition to start the year.
The Xavier Musketeers are coming off a 79-56 win over Jacksonville, after opening the season with a 77-63 win over Robert Morris.
In those games, Xavier held the opposition to under 35% shooting from the field, including a combined 7-for-33 mark from distance, a lowly 21.2% clip.
Purdue head coach Matt Painter hasn’t yet had to unleash Edey in full force, but I feel like this is the starting point.
Edey has taken just 14 field goals in two games, making five field goals in each contest (71.4%). He has been living at the free throw line, though, with 19 trips early in the year.
He doesn’t need to go supernova, but a couple of more buckets than last time out is enough to net you a win — with plus-money odds too!
My best bet: Zach Edey Over 21.5 points (+100 at FanDuel)
Xavier vs Purdue same-game parlay
Zach Edey Over 21.5 points
Under 151.5
Desmond Claude Under 16.5 points
Xavier has averaged 78 points across two wins, but the Musketeers will be playing a stout defense that ranked inside KenPom’s Top 25 adjusted defensive metric.
It’s early, but Purdue is limiting the opposition to 51 points per game on 19.4% shooting from the field and 29.6% from downtown. With Edey patrolling the paint, Xavier’s shooting will be put under the spotlight, and it hasn’t been a great start so far.
Against an undersized Robert Morris, the Musketeers attempted just 11 3-point attempts, making just four. However, when taking on zone-exclusive Jacksonville, Xavier hit only 7-for-29 from distance, a 24.1% mark.
The third leg of this same-game parlay features Xavier's Desmond Claude. He started out gangbusters against Robert Morris, scoring a career-best 25 points on 10-for-17 from the field.
His follow-up against Jacksonville quickly reverted to the mean, as Claude potted 12 points. That number matches his best scoring output in all of last season. I don’t think he passes that figure against a Top-3 team like Purdue.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Xavier vs Purdue spread and Over/Under analysis
This line opened out lopsided, and it continues to give points to the underdog Musketeers. The betting line opened at Purdue -15 but has since moved as high as -17.5.
Though they’ve started out 2-0 against the spread this year, the Boilermakers were just 13-20-0 ATS a season ago. Xavier has started the year 1-1 ATS. They finished last year at 19-17-1 ATS.
The total has increased as much as three points throughout the course of Sunday. Originally pegged at a total of 148.5 points, most books have settled this line at 151.5.
Xavier vs Purdue betting trend to know
Purdue has won 16 straight November games and currently owns the Division I mark for most consecutive wins vs non-conference (26). The Boilermakers are also riding a non-conference 22-game home winning streak. Find more college basketball betting trends for Xavier vs. Purdue.
Xavier vs Purdue game info
| Location: | Mackey Arena, West Lafayette, IN |
| Date: | Monday, November 13, 2023 |
| Tip-off: | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | FS1 |
Xavier vs Purdue key injuries
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