March Madness Predictions: Northern Iowa vs Purdue
Written March 18, 2009 by Jack Jones
Out of the West Region in the NCAA tournament the #5 seed Purdue Boilermakers face the 12th seeded Northern Iowa Panthers. Purdue won the Big 10 tournament this year and finished 2nd in the conference standings in the regular season. The were already headed to the NCAA tournament, but the Big 10 tournament title certainly helped them boost their seed a little. Northern Iowa gained entrance into the tournament by winning the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. Unlike Purdue, the Panthers were not a lock to make it to the big dance if they did not win the MVC title. Both teams come into the first round of the NCAA tournament as hot as they can be.  Odds makers have Purdue -8.5 against Northern Iowa on Thursday.
Purdue did not score a lot of points this year, but neither did the majority of the Big Ten, so it didn’t hurt the Boilermaker’s much during the regular season. They will have to pick up the pace a little against some of their opponents as they advance in the tournament, but their defense is good enough to keep them in just about any game. Purdue is getting hot at just the right time and they are being touted as a potential sleeper in the tournament this year. The Boilers should have Robbie Hummel back and healthy for this first round game, a much needed addition to the roster for a tournament run. During the regular season Hummel led the team in scoring with 6.9 per game and was third in scoring with 12.7 points per game. He appears to be 100% and should keep Purdue rolling on Thursday.
The Northern Iowa Panthers were a bright spot in what was otherwise considered a bit of a down year in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Panthers biggest offensive threat during the regular season was Adam Koch who scored 12.3 points per game and shot over 50% from the field. As a team Northern Iowa shoots well from three point range at about 35% and very well from the free throw line at 75% as a unit. They may run into problems against a Purdue team that is bigger from top to bottom, but the Panthers do have some size in the paint and I do not think they will be intimidated by the Boilermakers. The biggest knock I have on UNI is that they really have not played any competition outside of their conference. Their most difficult non-conference opponent this year was Marquette, a game the loss 43-73. The MVC has some talented teams, but to say that the conference as a whole could compete with the Big Ten would be a lie.
I don’t see this as one of the obligatory 12 seed over 5 seed upsets this year as the Boilermakers are playing their best ball of the year right now. With that being said, I wouldn’t underestimate Northern Iowa in the least. This feels like too many points for what looks like a very solid match up from top to bottom. My early lean on the game is to take the UNI Panthers and the 8.5 (or more) points.
Be sure to check our NCAA basketball lines page before you make a bet on college baskeball during the tournament. Betfirms also has you covered during March Madness with college basketball picks from the best handicappers in the world.
If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:
- 2009 March Madness Predictions
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- Purdue Boilermakers Odds to Win NCAA Championship
- Sweet 16 Picks & Predictions: Purdue vs Connecticut
- 2009 March Madness Betting Preview
2 Responses to “March Madness Predictions: Northern Iowa vs Purdue”
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it’s the only way to go n.carolina
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Lots of point no lawson…. I’m on the fence if Carolina shoots 45% or better no problem but without Lawson they got 6 fast break points in their last game… I still think they cover with their D leading the way..
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