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Purdue vs. Arkansas-Little Rock picks for the NCAA Tournament’s Midwest Region first-round game.

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Matt Painter has his Purdue Boilermakers peaking at the right time. The Boilermakers are 7-3 in their last 10 games, a stretch that includes wins over Michigan State, Maryland and a Big Ten Tournament victory over a feisty Michigan club fighting for a March Madness berth. Though they lost to Michigan State in the conference tournament finale, Purdue looked excellent in defeat. It’s certainly on the upward trend.

As for Arkansas-Little Rock, the Trojans have pretty much punished the Sun Belt Conference all year long. With 29 victories on their resume, they are one of the winningest teams in the NCAA Tournament. There have been questions about the quality of opponents they’ve played, but it’s undeniable that Arkansas-Little Rock’s players have whooped up on nearly every team that’s been put in front of them. All players can do is go out and take care of business.

Here are the Campus Insiders’ Purdue vs. Arkansas Little Rock picks.

Purdue vs. Arkansas-Little Rock Picks

Pete Fiutak

You can’t make a pick happen, and I want to force the 12/5 loss against a nasty Arkansas-Little Rock team. Purdue will survive and advance, but just barely, and then it’ll get past Iona only to lose to Virginia in the Sweet 16.

Ray Crawford

Arkansas-Little Rock’s four losses have come by a combined 15 points – remarkable. The Trojans will give Purdue all they can handle, but the Boilermakers pull out the win.

Shae Peppler

Purdue has too much size and too much talent. The Boilermakers move on to the round of 32.

Ken Bikoff

This isn’t a confident pick. UALR is good, but the Boilermakers’ size and toughness will make the difference in a close one.

Jordan Cornette

Size matters. Purdue holds off a really good Arkansas-Little Rock team.

More NCAA Tournament: Midwest Region Preview And Winner Pick