This is not the matchup Matt Painter wanted to see.
Purdue has struggled against this Rutgers team in recent years.
If they want to grab one of the top seeds in the NCAA Tournament, they’ll need to take care of business.
Big Ten Tournament: Rutgers vs. Purdue
How to watch
Gametime: 12 p.m. ET
TV: Big Ten Network
Live Stream: fuboTV, Sling, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV
Rutgers (+5) over Purdue
The Scarlet Knights’ 65-64 road win over then-No. 1 Purdue on Jan. 2 may be their ticket to another NCAA Tournament, but the upset wasn’t a fluke.
Over the past five seasons, Rutgers has gone 5-1 against the Boilermakers, who have gone 4-4 since a 22-1 start to the season.
Purdue doesn’t want the grind that Steve Pikiell’s defense presents.