Assembly Hall is going to be rocking tonight in the latest installment of the ongoing rivalry between the Boilermakers (-9.5) and Hoosiers. With such a storied history, tonight's clash between Purdue and Indiana is sure to spike the pressure on the players. While the teams may currently be on opposite sides of the seeding spectrum, there is always a lot at stake when these schools meet on the basketball court.
While we are on the topic of stakes, tonight's battle in B-Town boasts a few solid options for those keeping tabs on the various game odds via FanDuel and/or DraftKings. With that in mind, we have a few player prop bets for you to consider leading up to tonight's battle in Bloomington.
Kel'el Ware OVER 8.5 Rebounds (-118) via FanDuel
Ware has been on a rebounding tear, averaging 15.5 boards in his last 2 games. While those numbers may be a bit more staggering than usual, the agile big man has been a major silver lining on a team that has exuded a pattern of inferiority on the glass. Indiana is stuck in an even tie with opponents when it comes to rebounding through the 2023-2024 season, but without Ware's presence in the paint they would be much worse off.
Trey Galloway OVER 9.5 Points (-120) via FanDuel
Galloway has been much more steady in the assist department than in the field of buckets this season, but remember what he did in the team's last primetime, blue-blood showdown at Assembly this season? The senior should have an extra layer of incentive to pop off in this game, and has shown the ability to have a big night when his team needs it most.
Zach Edey OVER 11.5 Rebounds (-118) via FanDuel
Edey is nothing shy of a behemoth down low in the trenches, and is fresh off of a 20-rebound performance in Purdue's win over Penn State on Saturday. With Indiana not being renowned for it's shooting ability from outside, that should translate to less long rebound opportunities for the perimeter players to pounce on. With the Hoosiers doing a bulk of their damage in the paint, Edey should have a ton of rebounding chances. The 7'4" giant is the best rebounder in the Big Ten conference, and the past few contests have yielded heavy rebounding numbers for the bigs of Indiana's opponents. Dawson Garcia had 9 boards in the win at home over Minnesota. Prior to that, Clifford Omoruyi secured 11 boards in the loss at Rutgers. And prior to that, Felix Okpara snagged a whopping 15 boards in the win at home over Ohio State. Recent history tells us that Edey should be in store for a big night on the boards.
Honorable Mention
Kel'el Ware OVER 0.5 Made 3's (-105) + Malik Reneau OVER 0.5 Made 3's (-155)
This one simply boils down to Zach Edey's presence on the interior. With him patrolling the paint, the Hoosier frontcourt pairing should be in store for at least a few outside looks tonight. The duo is locked into a tie at 42.9% shooting from 3 on the season, and Ware is coming off of a game in which he buried 2. One of these guys SHOULD connect on at least one trey ball.