Michigan Wolverines vs Purdue Boilermakers Prediction & Match Preview - January 22, 2021 | NCAA Men's Basketball

The 7th-ranked Michigan Wolverines are on the road for a Big Ten matchup against the Purdue Boilermakers on Friday.

The Wolverines recovered from their first loss of the season with a big 24-point victory against the Maryland Terrapins in their last game.

Meanwhile, the Boilermakers are coming off an impressive upset over the No. 15 Ohio State Buckeyes and will hope to keep their momentum against the Big Ten-leading Michigan Wolverines.

Match Details

Fixture: Michigan Wolverines vs. Purdue Boilermakers - NCAA Men's Basketball

Date & Time: Friday, January 22nd, 2021, 7 PM ET

Venue: Mackey Arena, West Lafayette, Indiana

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Michigan Wolverines Preview

The Michigan Wolverines have been led by Isaiah Livers and Hunter Dickinson on the offensive end

The Michigan Wolverines successfully bounced back after being stunned by the Minnesota Golden Gophers in an 18-point defeat. The Wolverines' offense exploded for 87 points after being held to 57 the game prior.

The Michigan Wolverines have been led by Isaiah Livers and Hunter Dickinson on the offensive end. In their most recent victory, Dickinson finished with a season-low 3 points but also recorded 3 blocks and 6 rebounds.

When this Michigan Wolverines' offense is working, they can truly compete with anyone in college basketball.

Key Player - Hunter Dickinson

The Michigan Wolverines will be needing more scoring out of their big man Hunter Dickinson on Friday night. Dickinson is averaging a team-leading 16.7 points per game but was practically silent in the Wolverines' most recent win.

The 7-foot-1 freshman has been dominant for the Big Ten-leading Michigan Wolverines, but another off night could result in a loss.

The Wolverines will be hoping that he will find the basket with more frequency against the Boilermakers and earn their 13th victory of the season.

Hunter Dickinson scored three points tonight and still finished with a plus/minus of +22.Yeah, Michigan has a few weapons.

— Brendan Quinn (@BFQuinn) January 20, 2021

Michigan Wolverines Predicted Lineup

G Isaiah Livers, F Hunter Dickinson, G Eli Brooks, F Franz Wagner, G Mike Smith

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Purdue Boilermakers Preview

The Purdue Boilermakers have been one of the surprise teams in the Big Ten

The Purdue Boilermakers extended their current winning streak to four games with a huge win over the Ohio State Buckeyes.

The Boilermakers have been one of the surprise teams in the Big Ten, holding a tie for 3rd place with the Wisconsin Badgers. They have been solid on the defensive end and held the Buckeyes to only 37% shooting as a team in the 67-65 upset.

The Purdue Boilermakers will need to keep this winning formula as they prepare to take on the top team in the Big Ten on Friday. They will need to find an answer for big man Hunter Dickinson of the Michigan Wolverines if they want to pull off back-to-back upsets.

Key Player - Trevion Williams

Trevion Williams will be assigned the task of guarding Michigan center Hunter Dickinson, making him the key player for the Purdue Boilermakers on Friday.

Williams scored a team-high 16 points in the upset over Ohio State and dominated the paint with seven rebounds and one steal. He will need every inch of his 6-foot-10 frame to contain the massive Hunter Dickinson, but winning the paint battle could be the difference in the game for the Boilermakers.

Trevion Williams back court steal, fast break euro finish. I know...that sentence doesn’t make any sense but it happened. #Purdue pic.twitter.com/Z1y0q0gUCM

— Nick Yeoman (@NYeoman) January 20, 2021

Purdue Boilermakers Predicted Lineup

F Trevion Williams, F Mason Gillis, G Sasha Stefanovic, G Eric Hunter Jr., G Brandon Newman

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Michigan vs. Purdue Prediction

The Purdue Boilermakers are one of the hottest teams in the Big Ten but will have their biggest test yet with the Michigan Wolverines coming to town.

The Wolverines bounced back nicely after their first loss and seem to be back to their dominant form. I predict Hunter Dickinson to win the paint battle and the Michigan Wolverines to maintain the top spot in the Big East with a victory on Friday.

Where to watch Michigan vs. Purdue

The game will be broadcast live on Fox Sports One.