The No. 14 Old Dominion Monarchs (26-8) go head-to-head against the No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers (23-9) in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament at XL Center. The Monarchs opened as a 12.5-point underdog. The game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 126 points and it is scheduled to start at 9:50 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 21, 2019.
Old Dominion Monarchs vs. Purdue Boilermakers ATS Odds
In their last game, the Boilermakers lost a winnable game to the Minnesota Golden Gophers, 75-73, while the Monarchs beat the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, 62-56.
Old Dominion’s effective field goal percentage was their biggest strength over Western Kentucky. The Monarchs had a rate of 0.457 (below their season average of 0.477), while the Hilltoppers posted a mark of 0.385 (below their season average of 0.502). Purdue, on the other hand, had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (35.1 vs. 29.0). Purdue was led by Matt Haarms, who recorded 16 points. Meanwhile, B.J. Stith had a good game for Old Dominion, contributing 13 points and six rebounds.
Matchups including the Monarchs tend to go under the projected point total (61.8 percent). Old Dominion has a phenomenal 26-8 straight up (SU) record, but they have a difficult time covering the spread (14-20 against the spread (ATS)).
Unlike Old Dominion, just over half of Boilermakers games have finished over the O/U total. Further, Purdue is 23-9 SU and 17-15 ATS.
The game should be a battle of strength against strength as the high-octane offense of Purdue (11th in the country with an offensive efficiency of 115.1) takes on the top-notch defense of Old Dominion (12th in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 93.8).
Old Dominion Monarchs vs. Purdue Boilermakers ATS Pick
Free Pick: SU Winner – Purdue, ATS Winner – Old Dominion, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- Purdue ranks 31st in three pointers attempted per game (26.7) while Old Dominion ranks 200th (21.5).
- The Boilermakers rank 28th in rebounds allowed per game (31.6) while the Monarchs rank 107th (34.0).
- Purdue ranks 11th in steals allowed per game (4.8) while Old Dominion ranks 16th (4.9).
- The Monarchs rank 25th in blocks allowed per game (2.5) while the Boilermakers rank 169th (3.8).
- Old Dominion ranks 37th in assists allowed per game (11.1) while Purdue ranks 120th (12.6).
Bettings Trends:
- During their last five games, the Boilermakers have scored an average of 74.2 points per game (2.0 below their season average) and allowed an average of 62.4 points per game (4.4 below their season average).
- The Monarchs have been outscored by an average of 2.4 points in their last five games. For the season, Old Dominion has defeated opponents by an average of 5.3 points.
