College Basketball Odds, Pick for Samford vs Purdue (Monday, Nov. 6)

It’s Purdue’s first time taking the court since their historic loss to No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson in March Madness.

Virginia was the last team to lose the typically easy 1-16 matchup and went on to win the title in the following season. Will Purdue achieve the same feat? They’ll face a plucky Samford squad in their first game.

So, let’s dive in below for the college basketball odds and a pick for Samford vs Purdue.

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Samford has found success under Bucky McMillan, known for his exciting brand of basketball called “Bucky Ball.” The team specializes in shooting the ball from deep, with over 43% of their shots coming from beyond the arc in the past two seasons.

Jermaine Marshall is the standout player for Samford, a candidate for Preseason Player of the Year. Standing at 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds, Marshall impacts the game in various ways. He is strong on both offense and defense.

Samford’s success relies on Marshall, but they also have sharpshooters like Rylan Jones and Garrett Hicks to carry the team from beyond the arc.

If Samford wants to win, they’ll need an outstanding shooting performance.

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Purdue’s key player is Edey, standing tall at 7-foot-4. He had a dominant season last year, averaging 22.2 points and 12.9 rebounds per game.

However, Purdue’s season ended disappointingly, overshadowing Edey’s standout performance. Samford, a smaller team, will have to figure out how to handle Edey’s presence on the court.

Purdue’s returning guards, Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith, need to step up and provide support to Edey. Loyer’s shooting accuracy and Smith’s passing ability will be crucial.

Purdue coach Matt Painter also needs to determine the starting frontcourt player alongside Edey, with options like Trey Kaufman-Renn, Caleb Furst, and Mason Gillis.

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