NCAA Tournament and March Madness Sweet 16 Best Bets, Odds, Predictions: Houston, Purdue, Arizona, Iowa

The Sweet 16 tips of Thursday and after a successful round of 32, I am ready to keep the ball rolling. Last season, every single favorite won in the Sweet 16 and Elite 8, and this year, I don’t see much changing. Favorites dominated the round of 32 in this tournament and I think the favorites roll in the Sweet 16. All odds are courtesy of DraftKings.

Purdue (-7.5) vs Texas: O/U 147.5

Matt Painter and Purdue continued their round of 64 and 32 dominance with wins over Queens and Miami, and now turn their attention to Sean Miller and Texas. The Longhorns are considered the Cinderella of the tournament as a No. 11 seed and I think this is where their magical run ends.

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Purdue is 22-of-38 from three (57.8%) in the tournament, 29-of-34 from the free-throw line (85.2%), and 41 assists. The Boilermakers offense has been superb thus far with their rebounding being the biggest issue. Purdue allowed Miami to grab 14 offensive rebounds and too many second chance opportunities, but were able to survive. Purdue’s held Queens and Miami to a combined 12-of-44 from three (27.2%) and 15 total free-throws.

All three of Texas’ opponents have recorded seven turnovers for 21 total through three tournament games. The Longhorns ranked 352nd in defensive turnover percentage during the regular season and 253rd in three-point defense (35.1%), which are both major concerns. Gonzaga and BYU went 8-of-38 from three (21%) against Texas, while NC State was 6-of-16 (37.5%), but Purdue is light years better than both of them when it comes to three-point shooting, plus turning the ball over (18th in offensive turnover percentage).

Texas ate up inside the paint against all three opponents, but I am not so sure that will happen against Purdue with Trey Kauffman-Renn and Oscar Cluff playing so well. Purdue should be able to pull away from Texas in this game with its three-point shooting, limited turnovers, and size down low.

As long as Texas isn’t white hot from three or getting over a dozen offensive…

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Publish date : 2026-03-26 14:17:00

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