Week 12 of the college football season continues with this conference tilt on Saturday, November 19, and here you can read the best Wildcats vs. Boilermakers betting pick and odds.

Northwestern is desperate to avoid the tenth consecutive defeat when they meet Purdue at Ross-Ade Stadium. The Boilermakers are 20-point favorites on BetOnline Sportsbook, while the total is set at 48 points. These Big Ten foes have faced once in 2021, and the Boilermakers won 32-14 in Evanston, IL.

Wildcats displayed another disappointing performance in a loss to Minnesota

The Northwestern Wildcats (1-9-0, 4-6-0 ATS) suffered the ninth straight loss, and this time around they hit a new low. Namely, the Wildcats scored a season-low three points in a 31-3 road defeat to the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Northwestern had just ten first downs, while Minnesota dominated the possession (40:22-19:38).

Brendan Sullivan completed nine of 11 passes for 94 yards. Ryan Hilinski and Carl Richardson each threw for an interception in another poor offensive display. Malik Washington did lead the game in receiving yards with 97 on six catches, while Evan Hull led the team on the ground with 54 yards on 13 carries. Rod Heard II and Devin Turner were the most active on defense with ten tackles apiece.

QB Brendan Sullivan exited the last game with an unknown issue, and it is unclear if he will play Saturday versus Purdue. QB Ryan Hilinski (leg) is questionable to feature.

Boilermakers snapped a losing streak with a win over Illinois

The Purdue Boilermakers (6-4-0, 4-6-0 ATS) were on a two-game losing run for the first time this season but avoided the third consecutive loss with a surprising road win over the Illinois Fighting Illini. Purdue was a 6-point underdog in this one but managed to upset Illinois thanks to a strong offense. The Boilermakers were better in total yards (379-303) and first downs (25-18) and deservedly won 31-24 in the end.

Aidan O’Connell completed 25 of 40 passes for 237 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Payne Durham was on the receiving end on two of those TD passes and finished the game with 70 yards on seven receptions. Charlie Jones also caught a TD pass and contributed with 66 yards on four catches, while TJ Sheffield led the team with 72 yards on six receptions. Devin Mockobee was the best player on the ground with a game-high 106 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries. Defensively, Sanoussi Kane led the Boilermakers with nine tackles.

Trends:

Northwestern:

  • 4-9 ATS in the last 13 games overall
  • 2-7 ATS in the last nine road games
  • 3-8 ATS in the last 11 games following a straight-up loss

Purdue:

  • 5-2 SU in the last seven games
  • 8-3 SU in the last 11 games played on a Saturday

Northwestern Wildcats vs. Purdue Boilermakers Pick  

Northwestern failed to score more than seven points in four of the previous six games, and considering the Wildcats are averaging miserable 15.3 points per game, I don’t think they will have a good offensive game against Purdue on Saturday. The Boilermakers are scoring almost twice as many points as they average 29.6 ppg, and I am pretty sure the hosts will score 30+ points in this one. The Wildcats could be without their top two QB options for this encounter, which will additionally make their life harder.  

Pick: Take the Boilermakers at -19.5 (-110)

The Total

Northwestern’s inability to score and move the chains is the main reason I am going with a low-scoring game here. Especially if they play without both Ryan Hilinski and Brendan Sullivan. The Wildcats scored only ten points in the last two games, and although Purdue’s defense is not among the best in the country, I don’t think the hosts will allow more than ten on Saturday. Under is 12-5 in the last 17 H2H meetings; Under is 4-1 in the Wildcats’ previous five games following an ATS loss, while Under is 5-2 in the Boilermakers’ last seven vs. a team with a losing record.

Pick: Go Under 48.5 points (-120)