College Basketball Odds, Picks & Prediction for Purdue vs. Florida State

Purdue vs. Florida State Odds

The ACC-Big Ten Challenge is the perfect way to follow up on all the marquee matchups we saw during Feast Week. Among Wednesday’s slate, we get the No. 5 Purdue Boilermakers against the Florida State Seminoles.

This Purdue team lost a good deal of talent from last season, and expectations were a bit more tempered entering the season. However, it appears the Boilermakers have not missed a beat as they are undefeated on the year with wins over Duke and Gonzaga already under their belt.

The same cannot be said for the Seminoles. They have stumbled out of the gates as they are 1-7 to start the season. This matchup could be an early breaking point for this team, as the Boilermakers are a very stout test.

Can the Seminoles pick themselves up off the deck, or will the Boilermakers keep the train rolling?

Let’s dig in to find out.

With Purdue, it all starts with the big man in the middle, Zach Edey. The 7-foot-4 junior has been one of the most imposing players in the nation since he arrived at Purdue, but his interior dominance has yet to lead his team to national success.

He appears to be on a mission to change that, as he’s already proven himself against some of the best big men in the country. He dropped 23 points and grabbed seven boards against Drew Timme and Gonzaga but then followed it up with 21 points and 12 rebounds against fellow seven-footer Kyle Filipowski and Duke.

While Edey is the focal point of the Purdue offense, the Boilermakers are far from a one-man show. The backcourt duo of freshmen Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith has proven to be dynamite thus far as they each present complementary skillsets.

Smith has shown that he can do a bit of everything. We’ve already seen him sink multiple threes, work hard on the glass and pickpocket at a phenomenal rate.

Loyer has shown he’s not afraid to call his own number. He leads the team in threes made, but he also will work his way inside for a bucket.

Defense has been Florida State’s calling card under Leonard Hamilton, but it appears he’s been dealt a different hand this year. The Seminoles are 179th in adjusted defensive efficiency thus far and, despite their size, have been dominated inside the arc.

With how hot this Purdue team has been of late, the Boilermakers could go on some extended runs and put this game away early.

The Seminoles have dropped off significantly on the defensive end of the floor, but the main issue with their horrid start is on the offensive end.

There has been a lid on the basket for the Seminoles, as they are 236th in effective field goal percentage, and that has stemmed from their inability to stretch the floor.

Florida State is the second-biggest in the country, but lacks the perimeter threats to create space inside for big men to work and the guards to drive.

While the Seminoles have not attempted many threes, it will be necessary for them to create openings away from Edey down low. However, from what…