The Purdue Boilermakers once again earned a top seed in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed after winning the Big Ten tournament. After getting upset at home by Wisconsin, Purdue rattled off four straight wins to punch its ticket with a conference championship.

Of course, the Queens Royals also won their conference, with two upset wins to take the Atlantic Sun tourney. They’re an experienced team that is looking to put up a fight as a No. 15 seed.

Let’s take a look at the odds, players to watch and my prediction for this NCAA Tournament 1st Round matchup.

Queens vs. Purdue Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Queens +25.5 (-110)Purdue -25.5 (-110)

Moneyline

Total

162.5 (Over -115/Under -105)Queens vs. Purdue How to WatchDate: Friday, March 20Time: 7:35 p.m. ETVenue: Enterprise CenterHow to Watch (TV): truTVQueens record: 21-13Purdue record: 27-8Queens vs. Purdue Betting TrendsQueens is 15-17 ATS this seasonPurdue is 15-20 ATS this seasonThe OVER is 21-11 in Queens games this seasonThe UNDER is 18-17 in Purdue games this seasonQueens vs. Purdue Key Player to WatchBraden Smith, Guard, Purdue Boilermakers

Braden Smith is looking to end his Boilermakers career with a bang. The senior guard tasted a Final Four victory in his freshman year, but Purdue hasn’t been back there since.

Smith averaged the second-most assists per game in the nation this season at 9.1, and scored 14.0 points per game to boot. He had just 29 points in four Big Ten tournament games, but did contribute offensively with 46 assists across those four contests.

The senior will assuredly make history on Friday night as is one assist shy of tying Bobby Hurley’s 1,076 atop the NCAA all-time list.

Queens vs. Purdue Prediction and Pick

The Queens Royals have an up-tempo offense, but they might be challenged by Purdue’s experience. On top of that, the Boilermakers are more than capable of putting up points themselves.

It’s tough to handicap these early games, but Purdue does have a bit of a geographical advantage with this game taking place in St. Louis. It’s still a bit of a drive, but there are bound to be plenty of fans who make the trip.

Queens struggled on the road this season at 6-10 (12-2 at home) while Purdue went a respectable 8-3 away from home.

Pick: Purdue -25.5 (-110)

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