CHICAGO (Interstat) — The Purdue Boilermakers look to solidify their postseason resume against a surging Northwestern Wildcats team when the in-state rivals meet in a neutral-site men’s basketball game Thursday at the United Center.

Purdue (23-8), projected as a high NCAA tournament seed, enters as a heavy favorite but is coming off a 97-93 home loss to Wisconsin on March 7. The Boilermakers’ offense runs through point guard Braden Smith, who is averaging 17.3 points and 9.0 assists over his last three games. In Purdue’s 70-66 win over Northwestern on March 4, Smith dished nine assists.

Northwestern (15-18) has won three of its last four, including a 74-61 road victory at Indiana on Wednesday. The Wildcats are powered by the hot hand of forward Nick Martinelli, who is averaging 26.3 points over his last six contests. He scored 28 points in the loss to Purdue earlier this month.

The Wildcats have shown resilience, winning five games since Feb. 24 by a combined 13 points. Their recent success, however, contrasts with a season-long struggle for consistency.

Purdue holds a significant edge in season record and statistical projections. Interstat’s ELO system gives the Boilermakers an 82.9% probability to win. Oddsmakers list Purdue as a 10.5-point favorite with an over/under of 144 points.

The game tips off at 8 p.m. EDT and will be a final test for both teams before conference tournament play begins. Purdue seeks to avoid a second straight loss, while Northwestern aims to continue its late-season push and avenge its narrow defeat from earlier in March.