Michigan State Spartans vs Purdue Boilermakers Prediction, 2/26/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Michigan State Spartans vs Purdue Boilermakers

Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026

Location: Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, IN

TV: ESPN+

Mackey Arena is where the Purdue Boilermakers (22-5) will try to defeat the Michigan State Spartans (22-5) on Thursday.

The Michigan State Spartans played Ohio State and notched a win by a score of 66-60 in their last game. When talking about fouls, the Spartans ended up walking away with 17 while Ohio State finished the game with 21 fouls. They also made 4 of their 22 tries from beyond the perimeter. Ohio State finished shooting 58.8% when shooting free throws by converting 10 of their 17 attempts. Moreover, Ohio State had 24 boards (3 offensive, 21 defensive), but wasn't able to record a block. Ohio State earned 8 dimes and had 5 steals in this matchup. In reference to the defense, Michigan State let their opponent shoot 44.2% from the field on 23 out of 52 shooting. They also recorded 18 assists for the matchup while forcing the other team into 4 turnovers and earning 2 steals. In reference to getting rebounds, they collected 40 with 12 of them being on the offensive end. From the free throw line, the Spartans converted 18 of their 25 attempts for a rate of 72.0%. Michigan State walked away from the game with a 40.0% FG percentage (22 of 55) and knocked down 4 of their 15 shots from beyond the perimeter.

Carson Cooper is one guy who was a contributor for this game. He accumulated 20 points on 7 of 10 shooting. He played for 34 minutes and also totaled 11 boards. He finished 70.0% from the floor and recorded 3 assists.

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Michigan State will play this game with a mark of 22-5 for the year. They currently have an average of 78.4 points per contest (128th in D-1) while going 46.6% from the floor. The Spartans are shooting 35.2% on three-point attempts (206 of 586) and 75.7% from the free throw line. As a unit, Michigan State is pulling down 41.1 rebounds per game and has racked up 502 dimes so far this season, which has them ranked 15th in the country in terms of passing. They are losing possession via turnover 11.8 times per contest and as a squad they are committing 16.3 fouls on a nightly basis.

On defense, the Spartans are forcing 10.2 turnovers per game and they draw 18.8 fouls. They surrender 31.0% on shots from beyond the perimeter and they rank 20th in D-1 in PPG allowed (66.1). The Spartans defense is giving up a field goal percentage of 39.7% (608 of 1,531) and they surrender 28.5 rebounds per game as a team. They rank 90th in the nation in giving up assists to the opposition with 342 surrendered so far this season.

In their last game, the Purdue Boilermakers took home the win by a final score of 93-64 when they played Indiana. The Boilermakers were able to collect 23 defensive rebounds and 6 offensive boards for a total of 29 in this matchup. They gave up possession of the ball 6 times, while getting 6 steals in this contest. Indiana committed 22 personal fouls in this contest which took the Boilermakers to the free throw line for a total of 25 shots. They were able to bury 17 of those for a percentage of 68.0%. Regarding 3-pointers, Purdue knocked down 10 of 18 tries (55.6%). When the final whistle was blown, the Boilermakers finished 33 for 51 from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 64.7%. The Boilermakers allowed Indiana to bury 24 of 46 attempts from the field which left them shooting 52.2% in this game. They finished 35.0% from downtown by connecting on 7 of 20 and finished the contest at 9 out of 15 at the charity stripe (60.0%). In reference to rebounding, Purdue allowed Indiana to grab 15 overall (1 on the offensive glass).

Trey Kaufman-Renn ended up being a major contributor for the Boilermakers for this game. He converted 8 out of 10 for the game for a field goal percentage of 80.0%, and accounted for 6 rebounds. He totaled 20 points in his 26 minutes on the hardwood and accounted for 5 assists for the game.

Purdue has a record of 22-5 on the campaign. The Boilermakers are responsible for committing 14.7 personal fouls per game and they connect on 74.3% from the free throw line. They are assisting teammates 19.7 times per contest (3rd in college) and they turn the ball over 9.1 times per contest. Purdue has accounted for 2,239 points this year (82.9 per game) and they average 36.4 boards per game. As an offensive team, the Boilermakers are shooting 50.2% from the floor, which ranks them 16th in college.

The Purdue defense gives up 33.1% on 3-point attempts (236 of 713) and their opponents are connecting on 70.0% of their shots from the free throw line. They surrender 14.2 dimes and 29.1 rebounds on a nightly basis, ranking them 253rd and 6th in those defensive categories. The Boilermakers are ranked 66th in the nation in PPG allowed with 69.3. They are able to force 11.0 turnovers per game and have allowed teams to shoot 43.4% from the floor (137th in the nation).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Purdue

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