Ohio State carries a 20-3 record and the top spot in the Big Ten into Tuesday’s game against Purdue.
The Buckeyes are coming off a 58-52 road win over Wisconsin, OSU’s first win in Madison in nine tries and its fifth-straight win overall. Jared Sullinger played all 40 minutes, scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. William Buford also played the entire game for the Buckeyes, going for 11 points and six rebounds.
Purdue, which is 2-4 over its last six, comes in with a 15-8 record and 5-5 mark in the Big Ten. With a No. 62 RPI ranking, the Boilermakers are the epitome of a bubble team. A win at No. 3 Ohio State would go down as a big bullet on the their tournament résumé.
Senior forward Robbie Hummel leads Purdue with 15.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
Ohio State is a 15-point favorite against Purdue, although this one does have some of the hallmarks of a trap game. Granted, it’s in Columbus, where OSU is 15-0 on the season. But the Buckeyes are coming off a big road win, plus they’re staring down a Saturday date with Michigan State, which is just a game back in the Big Ten standings. That said, OSU is a 15-point favorite for a reason.
Ohio State-Purdue tips at 9 EST and airs on ESPN.