Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Purdue Boilermakers: Odds, Analysis, Betting Pick

The third-ranked Purdue Boilermakers (23-2) will put their perfect conference record on the line Wednesday when they host the 14th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (20-5) as large home favorites.

The Boilermakers enter this Big Ten matchup at 12-0 in league play, while the Buckeyes are right behind at 11-1.

Point spread: The Boilermakers opened as 8.5-point favorites; the total is at 145, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

College basketball betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 70.6-60.1, Buckeyes (College basketball picks on every game)

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Why the Buckeyes can cover the spread

Ohio State has covered the spread in the past two meetings with Purdue despite losing both straight up, according to the OddsShark College Basketball Database. Prior to this two-game skid, the Buckeyes had won seven of the previous eight meetings in the series.

Paul Vernon/Associated Press

Overall, they have won 10 of their last 11 SU to go along with a 7-4 ATS mark. That includes going 4-0 SU and ATS in their past four road games, winning by an average margin of victory of more than 14 points.

Why the Boilermakers can cover the spread

The Boilermakers have been the class of the Big Ten for most of the season despite the early hype around the Michigan State Spartans. They have a huge road showdown with Michigan State on Saturday, but they know they cannot afford to overlook Ohio State in this spot either.

Losing the next two games could drop Purdue into second or third in the conference after putting together an impressive unbeaten run so far, which would be extremely disappointing and no doubt affect their seeding come March Madness.

Kiichiro Sato/Associated Press

Smart betting pick

The biggest question mark here for bettors is, will the Boilermakers look past the Buckeyes with the Spartans on deck, or will they continue to flex their muscles and look like the best team in the Big Ten?

Purdue has failed to cover the spread in four straight now and brings a 19-game winning streak into this meeting with Ohio State. The Buckeyes are more than capable of keeping this one competitive and covering again, especially because the Boilermakers have had their share of close calls lately.

Look for that to happen with Purdue holding on for another narrow victory.

College basketball betting trends

Ohio State is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games.

Purdue is 1-4 ATS in its last five games.

The total has gone under in eight of Purdue's last 10 games.

All college basketball odds and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the OddsShark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.