2010 NCAA Basketball Tournament: Siena vs. Purdue Pick: March 19th 2010

Siena vs. Purdue
Free Pick: Purdue -4
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Many bettors remember Siena’s success in the NCAA tournament in ’08 and ’09, and expect similar results in 2010. Two years ago, Siena shocked Vanderbilt in the first round, winning by 21 as 6.5 point underdogs. Last year, the Saints pulled off another first round upset, this time a wild, double OT victory against Ohio State. They even hung tough with Louisville in the second round before falling short This team certainly has a strong mid-major pedigree when it comes to recent postseason success.

But this year’s Siena team isn’t as good as last year’s squad. They failed repeatedly, at every opportunity, to step up in class away from home. They lost at Temple. They lost in Philly against St John’s. They got blown out at Georgia Tech, and Northern Iowa and Butler; non-competitive in the second half of each of those ballgames. This 2010 Siena team is not poised to beat a strong defensive foe like Purdue; a Boilermakers squad that was widely considered to be a national title contender until the recent injury to Robbie Hummel.

Purdue won four of the six games they’ve played since Hummel got hurt. Both losses were ugly. They came on national TV, in games against tremendous defensive opponents (Michigan State and Minnesota) who were athletic enough to contain the Boilermakers both on the perimeter and in the paint. Siena doesn’t have that same ability. There’s a class difference here that is clearly not respected by the betting marketplace. 2* Take Purdue (#854).