Over the first six weeks of the college basketball season, few teams have been more impressive than Auburn. The 10-1 Tigers have beaten an array of elite-level opponents—Houston, Iowa State, North Carolina, Memphis—covering in six of their last eight to boot. Auburn looks to keep that run going Saturday against Purdue in Birmingham, where it’s a 9-point favorite at bet364 over the Boilermakers.
Looming over this game is the status of Auburn star forward Johni Broome, the current odds favorite to win the Wooden Award as national player of the year. Broome left the Tigers’ Dec. 17 victory over Georgia State with a right shoulder injury, but the school announced after an MRI that Broome would not need surgery and should not miss extended time. Whether that means the senior—averaging 19.7 points and 12.7 rebounds—will be available Saturday is yet to be seen.
Purdue vs Auburn Odds Today
Purdue vs Auburn, Dec. 21, 4:30 pm ET
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purdue Boilermakers | +9 (-110) | +390 | O149 (-110) |
| Auburn Tigers | -9 (-110) | -525 | U149 (-110) |
Odds as of Dec. 21 at bet365
Purdue vs Auburn Picks Today
Auburn -9 (-110) + OVER 149 (-110) at bet365
The 8-3 Boilermakers are adjusting to life without Zach Edey, the 7-4, two-time national player of the year is now in the NBA. But Purdue returned three starters, including the excellent guard combo of Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer, and has scored quality wins over Alabama and Ole Miss. The Boilermakers have lost two of their last three, though, the most recent as a 2-point favorite to Texas A&M in Indianapolis, and have covered only once in their last three outings.
Auburn has an excellent supporting cast around Broome, led by the rangy guard trio of Chad Baker-Mazara, Florida International transfer Denver Jones and freshman Tahaad Pettiford. The Tigers’ lone loss thus far was at Duke—no crime there—and according to data at TeamRankings.com their cover rate of 80 percent is tied for eighth-best nationally.
Auburn has flat overwhelmed some opponents, even good ones—it hammered Ohio State by 38, beat Memphis by 14 and North Carolina by 13. While new Purdue big man Trey Kaufman-Renn has slid almost seamlessly into Edey’s former role by averaging a team-best 18.2 points and 6.5 boards per game, the Boilermakers simply don’t have the interior defensive presence to contain an opponent like Broome—assuming he plays on Saturday.
Auburn has scored 90 or more points in four of its last five starts, indicative of an attack that’s gone OVER the total in seven of its last 10 games. Purdue has gone OVER in three of its last four, although the Boilermakers typically face totals lower than those of Auburn. Still, both teams can get up and down the floor—what a difference for Purdue from the Edey days—and the OVER seems the natural play.
Purdue vs Auburn Betting Trends
- Auburn is 7-1-1 ATS as a favorite
- Purdue is 1-2 ATS as an underdog
- Auburn is 4-1 ATS at neutral sites
