It is not labeled as a home game for Purdue but it may well sound like one when the Boilermakers (24-11) take the court against the Houston Cougars (32-4) in the Sweet 16 Friday, in Indianapolis, IN.
Purdue earned an invite to the Sweet 16 following victories over High Point (75-63) and McNeese State (76-62). Last year’s runner-up in the national championship game, the Boilermakers have once again proven to be one of the elite programs in college basketball. No question Matt Painter’s squad faced an onslaught of doubters this season but here they are in the Sweet 16.
All that said, even with a pro-Purdue crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium, the Boilermakers will have their hands full against top-seeded Houston.
The Cougars, under coach Kelvin Sampson, are making their sixth consecutive Sweet 16 appearance. Houston won the Big 12 regular season and tournament titles and have rolled through the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament with wins against SIUE (78-40) and Gonzaga (81-76). Defense is the Cougars’ calling card. Houston ranks second nationally in opponent field goal percentage (38.1%) and leads the nation in field goals allowed per game (19.5) AND points allowed (57.9).
Lets dive into the matchup and offer some information and possibly a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the opening tip, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Game details & how to watch Purdue vs. Houston
- Date: Friday, March 28, 2025
- Time: 10:09PM EST
- Site: Lucas Oil Stadium
- City: Indianapolis, IN
- Network/Streaming: TBS / truTV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest scores and player news. Check out our day-by-day NCAA Basketball Schedule Page that includes live game updates.
Game odds for Purdue vs. Houston
The latest odds as of Tuesday courtesy of BetMGM:
- Odds: Purdue Boilermakers (+290), Houston Cougars (-375)
- Spread: Cougars -7.5
- Total: 132.5 points
Expert picks & predictions for Purdue vs. Houston
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NCAA calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, injuries, and the schedule.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday’s Boilermakers & Cougars game:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Houston Cougars -7.5.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Game Total UNDER 132.5.
Purdue vs. Houston: Top betting trends and recent stats
- Purdue has covered the spread in both of their NCAA Tournament games after failing to cover the spread in both their Big Ten Tournament games
- Both of Purdue’s NCAA Tournament games have stayed UNDER the Game Total
- Houston is 1-0-1 against the spread in the NCAA Tourney
- Game Totals in Houston’s last 5 games are 2-3 (O/U)
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NCAA Basketball Top Trends Tool on NBCSports.com!
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· Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
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· Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
· Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
