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How and what to watch for No. 7 Michigan vs. Purdue

Michigan will see another road test with a Purdue team playing its best basketball of the season.

By Erik Buchinger

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Michigan Wolverines guard Brandon Wade reacts from the bench after a foul call against guard Chaundee Brown during the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at Crisler Center.  Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

The grind of the 2020-21 Big Ten schedule continues on when the fourth-ranked Michigan Wolverines head on the road for a tough test with a Purdue Boilermakers team playing their best basketball right now. The game is set to tip off on Friday, January 22 at 7 p.m. ET.

A game after getting handled fairly easily by the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Michigan went right back to crushing Big Ten opponents on Tuesday night when it blew out the Maryland Terrapins 87-63. Michigan comes in with an overall record of 12-1 including 7-1 in the conference, alone in first place at the top. The Wolverines rank fourth in the latest KenPom update.

Purdue has won and covered in four straight games and after a bit of a slow start, it has an overall record of 11-5 including 6-3 in conference play for a tie for fourth place in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers brought home another huge road win when they went to Columbus on Tuesday night for a 67-65 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes. Purdue checks in at No. 26 in KenPom.

Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming

You can watch No. 7 Michigan vs. Purdue on Friday, January 21st at 7:00 p.m. ET on FS1, or you can watch via the Fox Sports Go app with a cable or streaming service login. If you don’t have a cable login, you can get a free trial from YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, or Sling TV to stream it.

Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends

Point spread: Michigan -3.5
Point Total: 136.5
Money line: Michigan -175, Purdue +143

  • Michigan is 8-0 against the spread in its last eight games against Purdue including 4-1 straight up in its last five.
  • Michigan is 6-1 against the spread in its last seven games and 12-1 straight up in its last 13.
  • Purdue is 4-0 straight up and against the spread in its last four games.
  • Purdue is 6-0 straight up in its last six home games.

The Best Bet

For as good as Purdue usually is at home and as good as the Boilermakers have been playing as of late, I’m riding with the Wolverines. Michigan is playing in the best conference in college basketball this season and continues to blow out quality opponents. In all of their Big Ten wins this season, the Wolverines have won by more than this 3.5-point spread, and six of the seven victories were by double digits. Purdue is a good team, but it’s not on the level of Michigan. Let’s ride with the road favorites.

Pick: Michigan -3.5

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