Texas basketball vs. Purdue: Betting odds, TV/stream, prediction
After a huge win over the 11-seed and defending ACC Tournament Champion Virginia Tech Hokies and head coach Mike Young in the Round of 64, first-year head coach Chris Beard and the six-seed Texas basketball is moving on to the Round of 32. For the first time since 2014, Texas was able to win a game in the NCAA Tournament by knocking off Virginia Tech in a comfortable fashion on March 18.
Beard and the Longhorns are now set to face the three-seed Purdue Boilermakers in the Round of 32 on March 20.
Texas was able to snap their three-game losing streak dating back to Feb. 28 in a home loss to the Baylor Bears by beating Virginia Tech in the Round of 64. That gives Texas a record of 22-11 (10-8 Big 12) heading into this Round of 32 matchup against Purdue.
Meanwhile, Purdue comes in sporting a record of 28-7 (14-6 Big Ten) following their Round of 64 win over the 14-seed Yale Bulldogs on March 18 by the final score of 78-56. Purdue has won four of their last five games heading into this one.
Here’s a look into the betting odds, TV/streaming information, and game prediction as Texas takes on Purdue in the Round of 32 on March 20 at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI, with tip-off time set for 7:40 p.m. CT.
Texas basketball vs. Purdue betting odds
According to WynnBet, Texas is a 3.5-point underdog against Purdue in this game. And the over/under is set at 134.0 points.
The ESPN matchup predictor gives Texas a 35.6 percent chance to beat Purdue.
Texas basketball vs. Purdue TV/streaming information
TV: TNT
Streaming: TNT app
Radio: IMG Longhorn Radio Network
Texas basketball vs. Purdue prediction
This is going to be a really difficult matchup for Beard and the Longhorns to face the Boilermakers in the Round of 32. Purdue was ranked in the top five or top 10 throughout much of the regular season. They are going to be one of the more difficult non-conference foes Texas faces at any point of this season.
Purdue is a team that can dominate on the boards and is very solid offensively. Purdue ranked in the top 40 in the country this season in rebounds per game (39.7) and in the top 12 in points per game (79.7).
But this is a team that is vulnerable to turning the ball over and allowing open shots from two-point range. Purdue ranked in the bottom 100 in the country this season, averaging nearly a dozen turnovers per game. And they allowed their opponents to shoot 49 percent from two-point range.
This is where the likes of senior guard Marcus Carr, redshirt senior shooting guard/wing Andrew Jones, senior forward Christian Bishop, etc. will have to continue to be very disruptive on defense.
Texas is also going to have the opportunity to get the likes of Carr, senior forward Timmy Allen, and senior guard Courtney Ramey some open looks from the mid-range. That is something Texas will need to take advantage of if they want to win this game.
The good news is that both Jones and Carr will really good for Texas in their 81-73 win over the Hokies on March 18. Carr had a nice bounce-back contest where he scored in the double figures with a game-high nine assists.
Next. Best Texas players in history of the NCAA Tournament. dark
It’s hard to see the Longhorns not being able to compete with Purdue in this game if the likes of Carr and Jones continue to stay hot on both ends of the floor. Granted, this is a really tough matchup for Texas against a well-rounded and explosive offensive team in Purdue.