Once upon a time, the Purdue Boilermakers were one of four unbeaten teams left in the country. Three Big Ten losses later and they find themselves down to #15 in the rankings. This is the longest losing streak in West Lafayette since a five-game skid in '06, Matt Painter's first year coaching the program. They look to avoid a fourth straight setback Tuesday night in Champaigne, where they are favored to beat conference rival Illinois.

The host Illini are unbeaten at Assembly Hall this year, going 10-0 straight up, but just 3-5 ATS. They are off their first league loss of the season, 73-63 to Michigan State on Sunday, a game where they did cash as 11.5-point underdogs.

Cashing here might prove to a bit more challenging for Illinois considering they are just 1-10 ATS as a home dog of three points or less.

The team ranks second in the Big Ten in rebounding (38.1 per game) and average better than 80 PPG on their home floor. They will certainly own the edge on the boards over a Purdue team that has been outrebounded in all five conference games thus far (by 8.2/game) and badly so against Northwestern (42-23). The Boilermakers will look to win with defense as they are allowing opponents to score at just a 61.9 per game clip this season.

Wisconsin, Ohio State and Northwestern, the three teams that beat Purdue, all were able to score 70 or more on the Boilermakers, who had allowed 70+ in just one other game previously.

Leading scorer Robbie Hummel is a bit banged up for Purdue. He left the Northwestern game after being struck by an elbow, but did return and led the team with 20 points and six rebounds. Hummel was already suffering from a dislocated left pinkie, suffered late in the Boilermakers loss to Ohio State last Tuesday. That night saw him go for a career-high 35 points.

Illinois beat Purdue in both regular season meetings last year, but Hummel scored 19 points and had 12 boards in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament, leading his team to a 66-56 win.

Totals players should take note that five of the last six meetings between these teams have gone Over the total. The Boilermakers are a perfect 6-0 Over in their last six January road games, but the Illini are 14-3 Under at home when the total falls between 135 and 139.5. The over/under line has opened at 135.5.

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