March Madness: Texas vs. Purdue Sweet 16 – Odds, Predictions, Picks – Best Bet on OVER Tonight

(AsiaGameHub) –   The No. 11 Texas Longhorns will take on the No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers in the first Sweet 16 matchup of the night. The game is set to begin at 7:10 p.m. ET on CBS.

Texas advanced by upsetting No. 3 Gonzaga, 74-68. Purdue moved forward with a 79-69 victory over Miami. DraftKings lists Purdue as a 7.5-point favorite, with the over/under set at 147.5.

Our focus is on the total points line, with 63% of the money and 72% of bets placed on the OVER at DraftKings at the time of writing.

Best Bet Texas vs. Purdue: OVER 147.5 (-112)

According to KenPom, the Boilermakers hold the top national ranking for adjusted offensive efficiency. Purdue is scoring an average of 91.5 points per game in this NCAA Tournament.

Purdue also ranks among the top 10 teams in three-point shooting, connecting at a 38.8% rate, which is the eighth-best mark in the country.

Despite their proficiency from deep, the Boilermakers struggle to defend the three-pointer, ranking 173rd nationally by allowing opponents to shoot 33.9%. Texas is even more vulnerable, ranking 253rd by allowing a 35.1% success rate.

Purdue’s Fletcher Loyer is poised for a big night. The senior guard has been on fire from long distance, leading the team with a 43.3% three-point percentage. Here is his shooting from beyond the arc over the last five games:

• 4 of 4 vs. Miami
• 4 of 8 vs. Queens
• 3 of 4 vs. Michigan
• 4 of 10 vs. UCLA
• 4 of 9 vs. Nebraska

Texas will respond with guard Dailyn Swain (17.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg), who presents a potential matchup problem for Purdue. Center Matas Vokietaitis (15.7 ppg, 7.2 rpg) is a consistent scorer, and the Longhorns also get double-figure production from Tramon Mark and Jordan Pope.

Pick: OVER 147.5

Best Player Prop for Purdue Boilermakers

Fletcher Loyer OVER 14.5 Points (+100 at FanDuel)

For the reasons already outlined, expect Loyer to surpass this point total. He is coming off a 24-point outing against Miami.

In that game, Loyer was flawless from the free-throw line (8 for 8) and the three-point line (4 for 4), missing just one of his seven total field goal attempts.

Jordan Pope OVER 13.5 Points (+100 at FanDuel)

The Longhorns have relied on Jordan Pope‘s scoring throughout March Madness. The team’s leading scorer, Swain, has averaged just 12.5 points per game in the two tournament contests.

Pope made three three-pointers in each game against BYU and Gonzaga. He and Vokietaitis co-led Texas with 17 points in the victory over the Zags.