PARADISE ISLAND, The Bahamas – The slate of marquee nonconference games surrounding Thanksgiving has become known as Feast Week.

Tournaments in Maui, the Bahamas, Las Vegas and elsewhere generate top-25 matchups on a daily basis. Monday, Memphis upset back-to-back national champion No. 2 UConn. No. 4 Auburn erased a 16-point halftime deficit to take down No. 5 Iowa State. And No. 12 North Carolina came back from 21 points down to defeat Dayton.

That was just the start of a week that makes November feel a bit like March. No. 14 Indiana will compete in the eight-team Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas, along with No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 24 Arizona, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Providence and Davidson.

Indiana is off to a 4-0 start and rose two spots in the latest AP Top 25 poll. Three wins have come against mid-major foes Southern Illlinois-Edwardsville, Eastern Illinois and UNC Greensboro. Indiana also handled South Carolina in a 16-point win, but the Gamecocks have taken a step back from last year’s second-place SEC finish.

And with a nonconference slate that features just one high-major opponent outside its three opportunities in the Bahamas, the Hoosiers must eat up all the opportunities Feast Week offers. 

That starts with a matchup against Louisville, a team Indiana defeated 74-66 last year in the Empire Classic. But the new-look Cardinals are a completely different unit now, led by former College of Charleston head coach Pat Kelsey, 13 new transfers and one freshman. Louisville failed its biggest test of the season so far, a 77-55 home loss to Tennessee, but it’s shaping up to be a far more competitive team than those that went 12-52 in two years under former head coach Kenny Payne.

Analytics site Bart Torvik favors the Hoosiers by 3.6 points and ranks them 30th nationally, compared to the No. 57 Cardinals. With a win, Indiana would likely advance to face Gonzaga, which moved up to No. 3 in the latest AP Top 25 poll and is ranked No. 4 by Torvik.

That’s when the big challenge could come, one that Indiana vitally needs to meet as it builds an NCAA Tournament resume. Its best win so far is South Carolina, currently a bubble team at best. The Hoosiers may end up with wins against mid-major teams that reach the NCAA Tournament, but none that they can hang their hats on come Selection Sunday. 

And once they return to Bloomington, they won’t get another chance to pick up a quality win until Big Ten play. That’s part of the risk that came with Indiana scheduling lighter than normal in the nonconference and relying so much on what it can gain in the Bahamas.

The other factor is that beyond Louisville, Indiana doesn’t know exactly who it’ll play this week. Upsets happen in college basketball all the time, and Indiana could end up facing a lighter slate this week by no fault of its own. Or it could lose to a capable Louisville team Wednesday and head to the loser’s bracket, where wins over certain opponents may not significantly strengthen its profile. 

This Indiana team has enough talent that reaching the NCAA Tournament shouldn’t be in question, but its schedule lacks frequent opportunities at resume-boosting wins. 

The other question going into the Battle 4 Atlantis is, how much do we really know about the Hoosiers so far? In terms of its Big Ten and national title aspirations, almost nothing. We can speculate how Indiana might fare against premier programs, but this tournament in the Bahamas represents the first time we’ll actually see it.

Indiana’s 4-0 start has mostly provided optimism, as the Hoosiers have defeated each team by 11 points or more. But there have been several moments of concern, or ones that at least reveal a team with six transfers and one freshman still getting to know each other. That was expected going into the season, but Indiana can’t afford it to last much longer.

The clear difference between the 2024-25 Hoosiers and last year’s group that missed the NCAA Tournament is guard play. Point guard Myles Rice is averaging 14.8 points and shooting 46.2% from 3-point range so far, a dynamic Indiana simply didn’t have last season. Sophomore wing Mackenzie Mgbako appears to have taken another step in his game, leading Indiana with 18.8 points per game and connecting on 8-of-15 3-point attempts. 

Woodson also has much more capable depth to work with, with veterans like Trey Galloway and Luke Goode, along with budding freshman Bryson Tucker, coming off the bench. That’s all said without mentioning Malik Reneau and Oumar Ballo, who could comprise the Big Ten’s best front court.

So where does the hesitation come from? Woodson has been unhappy with several aspects of the Hoosiers’ play this season. After a 90-55 win over Eastern Illinois, which featured a 37-36 halftime deficit, Woodson called out his team’s readiness. 

“I thought we were still home in bed asleep,” Woodson said. “It was awful.”

Indiana jumped out to a 21-5 win over UNC Greensboro, only to be tied 40-40 with 15:57 left in the second half. Indiana shot just 41.7% from the field and 26.3% from 3-point range, allowed 13 offensive rebounds and committed 13 turnovers in the win. That left a lot to be desired from Woodson, and some of the frustration stems from knowing how much talent he has on this team.

“As a team we had 16 assists. That’s awful. I mean, it’s awful. With this team, we should average between 20 and 30 assists. So the play tonight, the way we played offensively tonight was selfish as hell to me,” Woodson said.

“That’s something that just can’t be because we have enough guys on this team that can make basketball plays,” Woodson continued. “We’ve just got to be unselfish and sacrifice the ball for the sake of the team and good things will happen.”

Woodson and the Hoosiers have a chance to ease those concerns and pick up several quality wins. Good, bad or somewhere in between, this week will reveal a lot about this Indiana team, which needs to return to Bloomington with something to show for this trip.

Indiana is coming off its first loss of the season and welcomes Purdue to town for Senior Day.

The Indiana Hoosiers are 10-1 with its first loss of the season coming at Ohio State (38-15). Indiana dropped to No. 10 in the AP Poll and will likely be on the backend of the teams in for the latest College Football Playoff rankings, but a convincing win here would help. Indiana has been one of the best against-the-spread (ATS) teams in the country and as a -29 point home favorite, all signs point to Curt Cignetti and company rolling.

Not much has gone right for the 1-10 Purdue Boilermakers. After the 49-0 win over FCS Indiana State, Purdue has lost 10 straight games with seven out of 10 losses coming by 17 or more points. Purdue lost to Michigan State 24-17 last week and has two OT losses this year, but this road game seems out of reach for the Boilermakers.

NBC Sports has all the latest info and analysis you need, including how to tune in for kickoff, odds from BetMGM, player news and updates, and of course our predictions and best bets for the game from our staff of experts.

Listen to the B1G Talk podcast with Todd Blackledge and Noah Eagle for the most compelling storylines across all ofcollege football, with the biggest teams on the rise and the latest rankings!

Game Details and How to watch Purdue @ Indiana

• Date: Saturday, November 30, 2024
• Time: 7:00 PM EST
• Site: Indiana University Memorial Stadium
• City: Bloomington, IN
• TV/Streaming: Fox Sports 1

Want to check out the other games on the College Football schedule this week? We’ve got you covered right here on NBC Sports with all the matchup, venue, game-time and TV/streaming info so you won’t miss any of the action!

Game odds for Purdue @ Indiana

The latest odds as of Tuesday afternoon:

o Moneyline: Indiana (-6500), Purdue (+2000)

o Spread: Indiana -29 (-110)

o Total: 56.5 points

*odds courtesy of BetMGM

The spread opened at Indiana -25.5, so heavy money is pouring in on the Hoosiers. That is no surprise since Indiana is on the cusp of a College Football Playoff. The total has no movement.

NBC Sports Bet Best Bet

Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) has the following best bets between Purdue and Indiana:

“The Indiana Hoosiers suffered the first loss of the season last week at Ohio State (38-15) and need to bounce back dominantly to secure a College Football Playoff berth.

Indiana’s First Half Team Total is 23.5, which might seem mighty lofty, but it’s certainly within range and so is a 50-point game for the Hoosiers. At home, Indiana has scored 17, 17, 14, 31, and 21 first-half points versus DI opponents this season for 20.0 first-half points per game.

Purdue’s defense hasn’t taken any steps forward this season. In the last seven games, the Boilermakers have allowed 24, 21, 21, 17, 21, 24, and 21 first-half points, so this number is nothing Indiana cannot do.”

BetMGM College Football Insights: National Championship

Line movement (Last Week to Now)

• Ohio State +320 to +275
• Georgia +500 to +400
• Texas +500 to +450

Highest Ticket%

• Ohio State 13.4%
• Texas 11.1%
• Georgia 10.5%

Highest Handle%

• Ohio State 15.9%
• Georgia 14.9%
• Alabama 12.1%

Biggest Liabilities

• Colorado
• Ohio State
• Alabama

College Football talk is taking over Bet the Edge every Thursday throughout the season. Bet the EDGE is your source for all things sports betting. Get all of Vaughn Dalzell, Eric Froton, and Brad Thomas’ insights Thursdays at 6AM ET right here or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.

Quarterback matchup for Boilermakers @ Hoosiers

• Purdue: Hudson Card threw for a season-high 342 passing yards against Michigan State last week on 26-of-47. Card has nine touchdowns to six interceptions on the year and 1,606 passing yards.
• Indiana: Kurtis Rourke has had a phenomenal season that has begun to be derailed slightly by injury. Rourke has 274 combined passing yards in the past two games and had zero touchdowns to zero interceptions last week. On the season, Rourke has 21 touchdowns to four interceptions for 2,478 passing yards and a 69.6 completion percentage.

Boilermakers @ Hoosiers player news & recent stats

• Purdue is 3-8 ATS this season, ranking tied for fifth-worst.
• Indiana is 8-3 ATS this season, ranking tied for seventh-best.
• Indiana is 8-3 to the Over this season, ranking third-best.
• Indiana is 5-2 ATS this year at home and 4-3 to the Over.
• Purdue is 2-3 ATS this season as the road team and 3-2 to the Over.
• Kurtis Rouke threw for zero touchdowns and zero interceptions last week.
• Hudson Card threw a season-high 342 passing yards last week.

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Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

• Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
• Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
• Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
• Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
• Eric Froton (@CFFroton)

BLOOMINGTON – Indiana heads to The Bahamas this week with plenty to gain — and plenty to prove.

The Hoosiers placed virtually all their nonconference emphasis on their first-ever trip to Battle 4 Atlantis, and they cannot afford to come home without some quality wins pocketed from a Thanksgiving spent on Paradise Island.

What makes this a successful holiday tournament trip? Five thoughts …

Greater consistency

Through four wins in four games, we’ve seen the idea of Indiana burst through the clouds. Stretches when the Hoosiers’ array of talent and experience makes them virtually unplayable at both ends of the floor, when even a high-major opponent like South Carolina looked simply overwhelmed.

We haven’t seen it often enough, though.

IU vs. UNCG overreactions: Woodson right to call out ‘unacceptable’ effort

In a way, that’s fine. No basketball team should be fully formed in November. Anyone playing their best right now is in big trouble come March.

But IU needs it this week. A reasonable path through this tournament will see games against top-50 competition at least once, probably multiple times. That means opportunity, but it also means the hot-and-cold performances thus far need to be smoothed over a little more. Those windows into what Indiana can be need to open a little wider this week.

Point guard play

Myles Rice has been outstanding through these first four games. Trey Galloway has had moments, as he continues his steady progress back to full fitness following offseason knee surgery. Indiana will need their best this week.

In settings like these, players with their creativity and experience, are crucial. Sightlines are weird. The whole environment can make shooting difficult. The teams that can force the ball to the rim and either finish or draw fouls (or both) have an added advantage.

The axiom in basketball that guards win games generally always applies. But in neutral venues, when certain elements of a team’s offense might be stunted, the ability to force action and either score or create moving downhill — something both Galloway and Rice have shown proficiency in doing — becomes invaluable. Both players must deliver in The Bahamas.

In-depth: Finding out he was cancer-free was Myles Rice’s second-best day. So what was the first?

Rebound the ball

It was too often a problem last season, and it’s been too often a problem this season.

Yes, Indiana is playing smaller. And yes, games like UNC Greensboro can go a little sideways in this department when an overmatched opponent chucks and chases because it knows there’s little point in trying to attack the rim.

But a team with IU’s size and athleticism cannot be a sub-200 team in opponent offensive rebound rate. The Hoosiers cannot afford to be so poor in closing out possessions. This team will undermine its offensive improvement and its athletic advantages if it continues to be so poor on the glass.

Indiana doesn’t need to be (and probably won’t ever be) dominant here. That’s not how the Hoosiers are constructed. But they are and must be better than they’ve been so far in this area, and three games in three days against demanding competition will require immediate improvement.

Mackenzie Mgbako’s continued growth

Indiana’s leading scorer had his quietest game of the season Thursday, scoring just nine points on 2-of-11 shooting and seeing his second-half playing time eaten into by Bryson Tucker’s bench performance. Everyone’s allowed a bad day at the office.

But Mgbako would do well to ensure he leaves those at home this week. IU’s most dynamic offensive player early in the season, Mgbako has flashed three-level scoring potential the likes of which few players with his size and athleticism can claim.

Few teams, even good ones, have adequate cover for a 6-8 wing who can shoot from multiple levels and finish around the rim the way Mgbako does. Couple that to improved rebounding and defense, and when he’s on, Mgbako is perhaps this team’s biggest individual game changer.

A microcosm of his team’s task this time of year, Mgbako needs to strive for consistency in those areas. Make the off nights few and far between. Find ways to impact games in multiple ways, and shift the way he scores to suit what his opponent struggles against.

This week is a good test for Indiana, and it’s certainly a good test for Mackenzie Mgbako. Both will get a better look at their ceiling in Atlantis.

Quality wins

It’s the simplest and most important storyline following Indiana to the islands.

The Hoosiers put all their faith in this tournament, in terms of being able to add quality to their NCAA tournament in nonconference play. Barring a surprise breakout from South Carolina, IU isn’t likely to beat anyone of meaning from a NET perspective anywhere but in Atlantis.

That represents a calculated gamble for Mike Woodson, whose program learned the hard way how far behind the eight ball an empty-calorie nonconference resume can set a team from an NCAA tournament perspective. The Hoosiers cannot repeat that this year.

Which means they need to make hay in the sunshine in Atlantis. Louisville might stand up as a decent win, somewhere between Quads 1 and 2. Gonzaga and/or Arizona would be worthwhile scalps. Oklahoma, Providence and West Virginia all might be in time.

Whatever its performances, Indiana needs to leave The Bahamas with some wins, or it will leave itself with a lot to do in conference play to ensure Selection Sunday isn’t a stressful experience.

Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.