Queens wasn’t always the clear favorite to win the Atlantic Sun Conference, but the Royals found a rhythm at the end of the season when it mattered most.
The Royals won three consecutive games during the ASUN Tournament, including a 98-93 win over Central Arkansas in the league championship. That earned Queens, led by head coach Grant Leonard, a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
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Queens, with a 15 seed, will take on No. 2-seeded Purdue in the first round. The Boilermakers made their own run through their own conference tournament. After going 13-7 during league play, they ended up winning the Big Ten title. They were victorious, 80-72, over Michigan in the conference championship game.
Can Queens manage to make it interesting against the Big Ten champion?
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Purdue vs. Queens Odds
Queens is a +25.5 college basketball betting odds underdog against Purdue, with the Over/Under being 163.5 points as of this writing.
The moneyline for Purdue is -10000, while it’s +2800 for Queens.
Purdue vs. Queens On TV
The matchup between Purdue and Queens will be televised on truTV. The game will tip off at 7:35 p.m. ET on Friday, March 20.
The contest is taking place at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
Purdue vs. Queens Prediction
I predict Purdue will win and cover the 25.5-point spread. I also project the game will go Over 163.5 total points.
Queens is a fun team. The Royals are 12th in the nation in scoring at 84.9 points per game. But I don’t think they’re as good as Purdue.
The Boilermakers are not just skilled, they’re efficient. They’re first in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio at plus-2.25 while ranking 12th in effective field goal percentage at 57.6%. They also rebound well, as they’re 21st with a plus-seven rebounding margin.
Led by Braden Smith, who is first on the team with 14 points, 9.1 assists, and 1.8 steals per game, Purdue should be capable of taking care of business in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
