March Madness odds have Purdue as one of the contenders to win the NCAA Championship but those numbers are likely to fall.
Purdue lost one of their best players to a season-ending injury as Robbie Hummel tore his ACL in a win over Minnesota. Without Hummel, it seems unlikely the third-ranked Boilermakers can win it all in March Madness betting.
March Madness odds were dropping on Purdue because they were playing so well. They are leading the Big 10 and have moved to third in the country behind only Kansas and Kentucky. Without Hummel it seems unlikely they can stay there. Some teams can compensate for the loss of a player and survive but winning in March Madness odds without one of your best players is tough to do.
Purdue still has talent so they are not going to just roll over in March Madness odds. They are going to need players like Lewis Jackson to step in and pick up the slack. Purdue is definitely going to struggle with bigger teams though. Hummel is simply a player that can’t be replaced on the defensive end. He probably can’t be replaced offensively either as he was the team’s second leading scorer. Perhaps Kelsey Barlow who was starting at guard can move up front. Chris Kramer filled in against Minnesota but he does not seem like a good option on a regular basis.
Purdue still has E’Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson so it will be up to those two to carry the scoring load. Keaton Grant was on the bench but he may have to see more time as well in the starting lineup. He was an important player for the Boilermakers in the past and there is no doubt he is going to be needed now.
Purdue is not going to be a power team so they are going to have to shoot well from the outside. Losing Hummel as an outside shooter probably ends the Boilermakers’ chances of making the Final Four but they can still win in the early rounds in March Madness odds.
It is easy to overreact to an injury in March Madness betting and that is what will happen with Hummel out of the lineup for Purdue. In this case though, the reaction may be justified as Purdue head coach Matt Painter has said that Hummel is simply not replaceable.