NCAA Basketball Game of the Night – #6 West Virginia vs. #4 Purdue

No. 6 West Virginia Mountaineers (11-0 SU, 4-6 ATS) at No. 4 Purdue Boilermakers (12-0 SU, 5-5-1 ATS)

Friday, January 1: 2:30 p.m.

While New Year’s Day will always been known for college football, college hoops has a very intriguing showdown between two top-10 teams that day, when the West Virginia Mountaineers go to West Lafayette, IN to take on the Purdue Boilermakers.

For Purdue, they are looking to get to their first Final Four in three decades, and may have the team to do it. They are led by a trio of three All-Big 10 caliber juniors, in guard E’Twaun Moore, and forwards Robbie Hummel and JaJuan Johnson.

Here are some college basketball betting trends which may impact this game:

• West Virginia: 2-1 ATS on the road
• West Virginia: Total has gone OVER in all 3 road games this season
• Purdue: The total has gone OVER in 4 of their last 5 games
• Purdue: 4-4-1 ATS at home

West Virginia Mountaineers @ Purdue Boilermakers >> Join to Bet Now

While Moore is this team’s leading scorer, it’s actually Hummel who gets them going offensively, and is one of the most flexible and versatile players in college basketball. Hummel has been battling back injuries his whole career, but finally appears to be fully healthy, and Purdue has been playing great basketball because of it.

Speaking of great basketball, the West Virginia Mountaineers are playing as well as anyone right now, and have three impressive wins over the past 10 days, beating a ranked Ole Miss team, as well as two Big East opponents, Seton Hall and Marquette.

They are deep, athletic, and versatile, led by senior guard D’Sean Butler. Butler is this team’s top scorer at over 16 points per game, and was instrumental in the Mountaineers most recent win over Marquette, hitting the game winning shot with just three seconds left. Devin Ebanks and Kevin Jones round out the front court, while Darryl Bryant is the point guard.

Both of these teams play phenomenal defense as well, as neither allows more than 61 points per game.

Coming in, you’ve got to give the slight edge to West Virginia. They are just a little bit more athletic than the Boilermakers, and undoubtedly have been hardened by their last three games, including a road trip to Seton Hall where they needed overtime to secure a victory.

Also, even though Purdue has seen some good teams (Tennessee, Alabama etc), I don’t know that they’ve seen a frontcourt this talented and athletic. Jones, Ebanks and John Flowers cause matchup problems for everyone, and Purdue will be no different.

The home crowd will keep the Boilermakers in this game, but in the end West Virginia’s schedule will have hardened them and prepared them for this contest.

Take the Mountaineers, on the road, in this week’s BetOnline.com college basketball betting odds.

Aaron’s Pick: West Virginia by 5

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