The Purdue Boilermakers begin their 2014 college football season when they host the Western Michigan Broncos today. The game is scheduled for a noon start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPNu. Currently the odds for the game have the Boilermakers favored in this one.

On paper, this one looks like your average Big Ten team welcoming in one of the lesser MAC schools. But Purdue, which opened as a 12-point favorite and now is just favored by over a touchdown, has a lot of rebuilding to do. The Boilermakers have a returning coach in Darrell Hazell, who had a lot of success before he got to West Lafayette. Last season the Boilers were just 1-11, one of the worst seasons in Purdue history. 

The Boilermakers hold a 3-0 all-time advantage over Western Michigan. This will be the sixth straight season the Broncos are playing a Big Ten team in their first road game. They covered just one of those numbers.

Western Michigan has dropped 19 straight road openers as well, losing by an average of 23 points during those contests. Last year they lost 26-13 at Michigan State, but the Broncos did play pretty solid at times. They'll want to be better offensively and stay solid defensively.

Each team went 1-11 last season and have second-year coaches. P.J. Fleck at Western Michigan is the youngest Division 1 coach in the country and it has helped him blaze a trail for solid recruits and depth moving forward. Fleck is going to win games as the head coach of the Broncons, the question is simply how long will it take?

Western has a lot of new players at some positions, but they have a lot of guys that are wanting to prove their worth. Purdue shouldn't open the season as a double-digit favorite over anybody. Look for the Broncos to play a solid game here in this one.

Free Pick: Purdue 31, Western Michigan 24

 Handicapping Tips: NCAA Week 1 Betting

Ken Thomson and Bryan Leonard From Pregame.com take a look at some handicapping tips for betting week 1 of the NCAA football season.

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