As Purdue fans, we’ll show you which teams Purdue would most benefit from winning over the weekend.
How to Watch / Who to Root For: 2/21 – 2/23
There will be 7 Big Ten conference games between tonight and Sunday (and 1 odd non-conference game between Illinois and Duke in MSG). We here at Hammer and Rails are obvious Purdue fans and we are going to break each game down and show what kind of effects they could have on Purdue’s chances in the Big Ten Standings. Some games are obvious while others are less so. Let’s take a look:
All times in ET
Friday, 2-21
14 Michigan State at 12 Michigan
8:00 PM on Fox
Who to Root For: I think we clearly pull for Sparty in this game. If Purdue wants to capitalize on its tiny chance of a three peat, Michigan needs to lose at least three more times in its last 6 games. Of course, MSU needs to lose at least twice more but considering their last 5 games include trips to Maryland and Iowa, plus a game against Wisconsin and a rematch with Michigan, they can add losses elsewhere. Michigan, on the other hand, has 2 games against Sparty remaining to go along with hosting Rutgers, Illinois, and Maryland and a trip to Nebraska.
Saturday, 2-22
Oregon at 11 Wisconsin
Noon on Fox
Who to Root For: Big Duck fans here. Oregon is a middle of the pack team in the Big Ten right now and Wisconsin is right alongside Purdue in the pool of teams fighting for the top 4 spots in the Big Ten Tournament. The Badgers sit a half game up on Purdue and with remaining games against Washington, Minnesota, and Penn State (plus MSU), a loss to Oregon seems massive.
Penn State at Minnesota
2:00 PM on BTN
Who to Root For: This game has little bearing on the Big Ten Tournament in terms of Purdue’s seeding as both teams are several games back. However, Purdue fans should root for the Nittany Lions in this game so that they can improve their NET ranking. The Penn State lose on the road continues to be the worst loss on Purdue’s resume, so keeping it a Q1 loss would be huge.
Washington at Iowa
4:00 on FS1
Who to Root For: Depends on who you would rather see in the Big Ten Tournament. Washington sits a game behind Iowa in the standings and the loser of this game is at risk of missing the BTT entirely (remember that only the top 15 teams in the standings make it now). I personally would much rather see the Huskies have to travel to Chicago for the tournament than the Hawkeyes, so go Dubs.
3 Duke at Illinois
8:00 PM on Fox
Who to Root For: Even if Duke loses on a neutral court, Purdue is not in a position to pass them in the overall tournament outlook. But it’s always a good day when Duke loses (sorry Mason Gillis). Maybe that makes Illinois feel more secure in their tournament hopes when Purdue comes to town for the season finale.
Sunday, 2-23
13 Purdue at Indiana
1:30 PM on CBS
Who to Root For: Boiler Up
Ohio State at UCLA
3:45 PM on CBS
Who to Root For: Before the obvious choice in OSU, can we appreciate the fact that these games are set 2 hours and 15 minutes apart rather than just 2 hours? It’s so much better when schedule makers realize that a game usually takes longer than a 120-minute slot. As for the game, UCLA sits 1 game back of Purdue and Maryland, and these three teams seem like they’ll have to fight for a top 4 seed. Purdue hosts UCLA later, so a win in Mackey could make this game moot, but why not get ahead of the curve?
USC at Rutgers
6:00 PM on FS1
Who to Root For: Not sure it matters. Maybe a Rutgers win gives them momentum heading into their game at Michigan, so I will say the Scarlet Knights. Both of these teams seem destined to play on Wednesday in the BTT, so a Rutgers win may also make them feel more secure with their spot when they play Purdue in Mackey in a week and a half. I have convinced myself to take Rutgers in this one.
So, to recap, here is our weekend rooting list:
Michigan State
Oregon
Penn State
Washington
Illinois
Purdue (duh)
Ohio State
Rutgers
Note: If someone bets these games as a parlay and it hits, I expect 25% of the winnings. Happy watching!