Purdue Boilermakers (11-4, 3-1 Big Ten) at Rutgers Scarlet Knights (8-7, 1-3 Big Ten)
Piscataway, New Jersey; Thursday, 6 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: No. 20 Purdue visits Rutgers after Braden Smith scored 22 points in Purdue’s 79-61 win against the Northwestern Wildcats.
The Scarlet Knights are 7-1 in home games. Rutgers ranks ninth in the Big Ten with 8.9 offensive rebounds per game led by Ace Bailey averaging 1.7.
The Boilermakers are 3-1 in conference matchups. Purdue is 10-4 against opponents over .500.
Rutgers’ average of 6.9 made 3-pointers per game this season is only 0.4 fewer made shots on average than the 7.3 per game Purdue gives up. Purdue has shot at a 48.8% clip from the field this season, 4.5 percentage points above the 44.3% shooting opponents of Rutgers have averaged.
The Scarlet Knights and Boilermakers match up Thursday for the first time in conference play this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Dylan Harper is shooting 36.2% from beyond the arc with 1.8 made 3-pointers per game for the Scarlet Knights, while averaging 21.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists.
Smith averages 2.8 made 3-pointers per game for the Boilermakers, scoring 15.4 points while shooting 42.9% from beyond the arc.
LAST 10 GAMES: Scarlet Knights: 4-6, averaging 77.4 points, 32.6 rebounds, 12.2 assists, 6.4 steals and 3.6 blocks per game while shooting 44.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 78.5 points per game.
Boilermakers: 7-3, averaging 76.2 points, 29.5 rebounds, 16.5 assists, 6.3 steals and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 47.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 68.6 points.
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