No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 7 Michigan State

WHEN: Today, 6:30 p.m. EST
WHERE: Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
TV: Big Ten Network
RECORDS: Purdue is 25-6; Michigan State is 18-13.
OF NOTE: Purdue is looking to beat the Spartans for the third time this season after owning them in East Lansing, Mich., 67-47 and winning 86-76 in Mackey Arena. But the Boilers are coming off their worst loss of the season, a 67-65 defeat at Iowa on Saturday. The Spartans enter the game coming off a 66-61 win against the Hawkeyes in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament to advance to today’s game. After the win, MSU’s Draymond Green said the Spartans haven’t forgotten about the 20-point loss they suffered to Purdue because it was an embarrassment. Purdue has won six of the last nine games in the series and the Spartans are making sure they’re in the NCAA Tournament. Over the past three seasons, Purdue is 7-1 in the Big Ten Tournament, including a title two seasons ago.

PREDICTIONS: Purdue 64, Michigan State 60 (Bridges): I am back to feeling uneasy about every Purdue game thanks to overconfidence when the Boilers traveled to Iowa and got beat. Also, Michigan State is fighting for its NCAA Tournament life still and seeding, so I think this is going to be an all-out brawl. It seems like Purdue has enough experience and talent to win this game even though it’s extremely difficult to beat a Tom Izzo-coached team three times in a year. The pro-Purdue crowd helps the Boilers out as they prove the Iowa game was a fluke and push toward a 2 seed in the tourney.

Purdue 71, MSU 62 (Langdon): Unlike Leroy, I’m more confident that Purdue wins today BECAUSE of the Iowa loss. Purdue usually bounces back strong, and JaJuan Johnson loves to play in Conseco Fieldhouse. As far as MSU is concerned, did anyone watch their game yesterday and get a feeling they’ve basically quit on the season? Yes, they have a lot to play for. Question is, do they want to?

Purdue 75, Michigan State 68 (Nielsen) 

Purdue 63, Michigan State 62 (Nyatawa)