Indiana State vs. Purdue Odds
| Indiana State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+33.5 -110 | 49.5 -105o / -115u | +4000 |
| Purdue Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-33.5 -110 | 49.5 -105o / -115u | -20000 |
The Purdue Boilermakers take on the Indiana State Sycamores at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 31 at Ross-Ade Stadium. You can watch the game on Big Ten Network.
Purdue comes into this Week 1 showdown as a 33.5-point favorite on the spread, while the total sits at 48.5.
So, where's the betting value here? Let's dive into the Purdue vs. Indiana State odds and make a prediction and pick for Saturday's Week 1 college football contest below.
Indiana State vs. Purdue Prediction
- Indiana State vs. Purdue Pick: Indiana State +33.5
My Indiana State vs. Purdue best bet is on the Sycamores to cover the spread with the best line currently available at FanDuel, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Indiana State vs. Purdue Preview
Indiana State Sycamores Betting Preview: Change May Be Good?
Coming off of a 1-10 season, things can't really go worse for the Sycamores (although they could've said that after the 2022 season, as well, when they went 2-9).
Back then, things were easy for Purdue. The Boilermakers blasted them by a score of 56-0 (behind star performances Aidan O'Connell and Charlie Jones, who are long gone).
While Purdue has since entered a rebuild, Indiana State will try to do the same. Only three offensive players who were on Indiana State's final two-deep depth chart at the end of the 2023 season are on this year's roster.
Change is a good thing for a team with as many issues as last year's Sycamores had, and this locker room will feel completely different.
Two starters are back on the offensive line, which has quality size up front for a team that loves to emphasize the run. Plez Lawrence is the leading returning rusher, and he ran for 502 yards before getting injured near the end of last season.
At quarterback, Elijah Owens takes over after a redshirt freshman season in which he tallied 310 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. He's the question mark, but he may be an upgrade over last year's starter Cade Chambers.
The defense returns more than the offense as six Sycamores starters are back. Safety Maddux Blaxckwell led the Missouri Valley Conference in tackles, and he'll be the leader on that end.
If Purdue wants to establish the run, Indiana State will be ready and well-suited to make things tough.
Purdue Boilermakers Betting Preview: Year 2 of the Ryan Walters Era Begins
Offensive coordinator Graham Harrell is back, along with starting quarterback Hudson Card and star running back Devin Mockobee.
When Purdue found success last season, it was typically thanks to the ground game. The Boilermakers ran for over 300 yards in outings against Minnesota and Northwestern.
Mockobee will be joined by Illinois transfer Reggie Love III, and they should form a very formidable duo in the run game.
They'll need some help from their line, though, which will rely on some incoming transfers to elevate their game. Corey Stewart (Ball State) and DJ Wingfield (New Mexico) will take on starting roles, and there may need to be some time for them to adjust to the speed and physicality of Big Ten football.
These are the types of games for a coaching staff to help their team find its identity, and given how last season went when things went well, we expect Purdue to hit the ground running — literally.
A focus on developing the run — mixing both Mockobee and Love in and breaking in the new starters on the offensive line — should be the main priority in this game against the undermanned Cyclones.
On defense, it'll be a different story. The Boilermakers were miserable last season, grading out as the worst passing defense in the Big Ten and allowing 30 points per game.
Star pass rusher Nic Scourton transferred out for Texas A&M, and his team-high 10 sacks and 15 tackles for loss will be sorely missed.
The addition of two Georgia transfers on defense (CJ Madden and Nyland Green) will help, along with their linebacker duo of Kydran Jenkins and Yanni Karlaftis. Both are volume tacklers and they'll need to be special for Purdue's defense to have much of a chance against quality opponents.
It deserves mention that receiver CJ Smith and Green have both suffered injuries and will miss Week 1. Those are no small losses, and it appears Purdue is taking a "let's get healthy" approach over prioritizing full strength for this game.
Indiana State vs Purdue Pick & Prediction
This line opened at Indiana State +36.5, but it's been quickly bet down to +33.5. Early bettors see what we see, an inflated line for a Purdue program that's simply not ready to blow anyone out.
Purdue's defense has too many holes for a team that gave up 17+ points in all 12 games last year, and with news that key starters will be rested, it's highly likely that Walters' approach to this game is a conservative one.
Indiana State's defense will be fully accepting of a heavy-run Purdue game plan, and with both teams looking to stay on the ground, 33.5 points is just too many.
Bet it down to 31.
Pick: Indiana State +33.5 | Play to 31 |
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How to Watch Indiana State vs. Purdue Live: Start Time, TV Channel, Location
| Location: | Ross-Ade Stadium | West Lafayette, IN |
| Date: | Saturday, Aug. 31 |
| Kickoff Time: | 12 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | Big Ten Network |
