Purdue vs. Rutgers college basketball odds: Boilermakers play first-ever game as No. 1 team; bettors big on national title chances

Purdue has had plenty of success in college basketball over the years but has never taken the court as the top-ranked team in the Associated Press Top 25. That changes tonight as the Boilermakers visit Rutgers in Big Ten action at 7 ET. Purdue is a 12.5-point favorite, but that game can't be bet at New Jersey sportsbooks because Rutgers is located in the state. Click here for model picks on the game.

When the new AP Poll was released Monday, it was the 380th time that Purdue was ranked but first-ever at No. 1. It had been No. 2, but previous No. 1 Duke lost last week at Ohio State. Purdue also reached No. 2 in consecutive seasons under Gene Keady in 1986-87 and 1987-88. The Boilermakers got all 61 first-place votes in the AP Poll. In the initial NCAA NET rankings of the season, Purdue also is No. 1. It has trailed for a total of 27 minutes, 10 seconds.

The school's 8-0 start is the best since an 11-0 start during the 2015-16 season, and the Boilermakers rank second in the country in offensive efficiency, second in three-point percentage, third in field-goal percentage and rebound margin, and fifth in scoring offense. Purdue has outscored its opponents by 77 points at the free-throw line, most in the country.

Rutgers likely won't have much shot of pulling the upset at 4-4 and off a 35-point loss last Friday at Illinois. The Scarlet Knights also are missing one of their best players in guard Geo Baker due to a hamstring injury. The senior, averaging 11.2 points and 4.0 assists, last played on Nov. 22. Rutgers has won three straight in this series, however, by a combined 15 points. It's Purdue's third-longest active losing streak to a Big Ten opponent.

This will be the first time in 14 years that the No. 1 team plays Rutgers in Piscataway. On Dec. 16, 2007, North Carolina won at Rutgers 93-71 when the Scarlet Knights were playing at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. Tonight also will feature a "Scarlet Out," where fans in the stands are asked to wear scarlet red to support RU.

Purdue had the second-most appearances in the AP poll (379 weeks) for a school that had never been ranked first. That record belongs to fellow Big Ten school Maryland at 434 weeks, and the Terps aren't getting to No. 1 this season.

At Caesars Sportsbook, Purdue remains a +800 second-favorite to win the national title behind Gonzaga (+450). Since the regular season tipped off on Nov. 9, the Boilermakers have received 16 percent of all national title bets at Caesars, most of any school. Gonzaga is next at 13 percent and leads in money wagered at 20 percent, with the Boilers second at 16 percent.

"Purdue has been a well-backed team for futures over the past few years," said Adam Pullen, Assistant Director of Trading at Caesars Sportsbook. "Their odds plummeted from opening to before the season, and they've plummeted again during the season. They're a deserved No. 1 now, but once you get into the Big Ten schedule, teams are going to be knocking each other off all the time. But they're handling teams pretty easily so far and [Matt] Painter is one of the better coaches in the country."

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