Purdue at Rutgers: Preview, Odds, and How to Watch

I have to be honest. We need to crush Rutgers. There are two teams that have looked utterly awful in conference play: Minnesota and Rutgers. Both are bad enough that Nebraska has blown them out (though the Cornhuskers are on fire with three straight wins). Rutgers trailed at halftime to a Division II team and generally has not been competitive against anyone with a pulse. The fact they are considered a Big Ten basketball team is an absolute joke and if Purdue loses this game it deserved to not only rightfully mocked, but not even make the NCAA Tournament.

Yes, Rutgers is that bad.

No team in the Big Ten has gone winless in league play since Northwestern in 1999-2000. No non-Northwestern team has gone winless in Big Ten play Since the University of Chicago in 1944, when they were winding down their programs to leave the league. Rutgers can easily go winless in league play, but they do play Minnesota twice.

This is 100% a business trip. A loss would be an absolute disaster, so let's avoid it.

One of the most shocking upsets in Big Ten history was Rutgers beating Wisconsin last year. The Badgers were an excellent team. Rutgers was historically awful. Somehow, the Scarlet Knights won. Even with the injuries Wisconsin had in that game I still don't know how.

Since then, Rutgers has lost 19 straight Big Ten games. Last year they were at least competitive with several losses inside 10 points. This year they have only been competitive with Indiana, whom they lost to by 7. Since then they have lost by 22, 25, 34, and 26. They have six victories this season over thefollowing teams:

Rutgers-Newark - A Division II team

Howard - A common opponent! They beat the Bison 82-70

Central Arkansas - They beat a 2-12 Southland team 87-84.

Central Connecticut State - CCSU is in the running for "Worst Division I team" at 1-16 and dead last at 351 in the RPI.

Fairleigh Dickenson - Yes, this is a real Division I team.

Massachusetts-Lowell - A transitional D-I member.

Rutgers not only has not beaten a top 50 team, they have not even beaten a team in the top 200. They are pretty much one of the worst Big Ten teams ever, once again reinforcing that a loss would be absolutely disastrous.

Rutgers doesn't really do anything well. Corey Sanders leads then at 13.6 points per game and Mile Williams is next at 11.9 points per game, but they are not good shooters. Sanders is hitting 40.7% from the floor and Williams is even worse at 37.4%. As a team they only hit 41.7% from the field.

Purdue should have another huge advantage in the post. Greg Lewis and D.J.Foreman are their top post players, but they are giving up a lot of size to A.J. Hammons and Isaac Haas. Ibrahima Diallo and Deshawn Freeman would normally give them some more size, but they are both out with injuries. Omari Grier has been playing well of late, as he had 20 against Indiana.

There is honestly not that much that scares me about this team. I can't respect them when they are getting drilled by the likes of Nebraska and such. They have no business whatsoever being in the Big Ten for basketball. Their athletic program is so, so bad they somehow make our own look good. This is a game where Purdue really has no excuse to lose. They have no talent, no home court advantage, and no defense at all. Yes, Purdue hasn't been playing great of late, but this should still be an easy win.