March Madness: Purdue vs. Houston odds, picks and predictions
The Boilermakers kicked off their tournament play with a 75-63 win over the High Point Panthers March 20, covering as 8-point favorites. Purdue beat the McNeese Cowboys 76-62 in the Round of 32 Saturday, covering as a 6.5-point favorite. The team was led by F Trey Kaufman-Renn, who scored 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Purdue's success this season has been driven by its offense, sitting eighth in KenPom's rating but just 55th in defensive rating.
Houston is the opposite, coming in as the best defensive team in the country. It ranks 11th in offensive rating. The Cougars won the Big 12 Tournament before commencing NCAA Tournament action. They throttled the No. 16 seed SIUE Cougars 78-40 in the first round March 20 and took down the Gonzaga Bulldogs 81-76 in the second round Saturday, closing as 28.5-point and 5-point favorites, respectively. G L.J. Cryer had 30 points and hit 6 threes against Gonzaga.
Houston is No. 2 in the USA TODAY Sports Men's Basketball Coaches Poll.
Stream select live college basketball games and full replays: Get ESPN+
Purdue vs. Houston odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:05 a.m. ET.
Moneyline (ML) : Purdue +325 (bet $100 to win $325) | Houston -425 (bet $425 to win $100)
: Purdue +325 (bet $100 to win $325) | Houston -425 (bet $425 to win $100) Against the spread (ATS) : Purdue +8.5 (-110) | Houston -8.5 (-110)
: Purdue +8.5 (-110) | Houston -8.5 (-110) Over/Under (O/U): 131.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
Purdue vs. Houston picks and predictions
Prediction
Houston 70, Purdue 66
PASS.
While Purdue (+325) has some value to pull off the upset, it isn't a strong play. Houston (-425) is far too expensive to take outright here. Avoid making a moneyline wager.
BET PURDUE +8.5 (-110).
The Boilermakers have been on a roll, covering 2 straight games and scoring at least 75 points in each while allowing 63 or fewer in both. Purdue's best player, Kaufman-Renn, is a 6-foot-9 forward, and the Cougars' only weakness in their defense, if any, is against big men, as they gave up 27 points to Gonzaga F Graham Ike in the second round.
The Cougars are just 4-4-2 ATS in their last 10 games, including postseason battles. They have scored between 72 and 78 points in 4 of their last 5 games, so as long as Purdue continues to stay efficient offensively, it should be able to stay close enough to cover.
Back PURDUE +8.5 (-110).
BET OVER 131.5 (-115).
Both of these teams have strong offenses, sitting within the top 12 nationally in KenPom's rankings. Houston has been on fire as of late, scoring at least 72 points in 5 straight games and going Over in 2 of those.
Purdue is 4-3 O/U in its last 7 contests and has tallied at least 75 points in 6 of those. It will face an elite defense, but all 3 of its players who average over 13 points per game shot at least 43% during regular-season action. The Boilermakers have the consistency to score.
Take OVER 131.5 (-115).
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