Sweet 16 – Houston vs Purdue Pick & Preview – March 28, 2025

The fourth-seed Purdue Boilermakers (24-11) and top-seed Houston Cougars (32-4) will meet in the Sweet 16 on Friday, March 28th at 10:09 PM ET. Check out the action at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, where the Cougars are favored with a point spread at -7.5 (-115).

Purdue Boilermakers Betting Preview

The Boilermakers are on a two-game win streak and are 3-2 over their last five. They have had a somewhat easier road so far, but have been challenged in these matchups. Their recent win was a 76-62 outing over the 12th-seed McNeese Cowboys in the Second Round.

Purdue landed six three point shots in the first half to show they meant business offensively, as they had a 38-20 lead to end the half. They allowed the Cowboys to get back into the game to make it respectable in the second, but they still had a good performance overall. Trey Kaufman-Renn led with 22 points and 15 rebounds.

The Cowboys made 44.6 percent of their shots from the field and 33.3 percent from long distance. Purdue connected on 45.1 percent of their shots and 42.3 percent from downtown. They also went 19-23 from the foul line while the Coybowts went 5-13.

The Boilermakers have been getting 77.7 points each battle while allowing opposing teams to get 70.6. These tournament battles have been close, with 75.5 points averaged on offense and 62.5 points allowed.

Houston Cougars Betting Preview

The Cougars have won their last 15 games, as they have not lost since February 1. Their recent triumph was an 81-76 performance over the eighth-seed Gonzaga Bulldogs.

LJ Cryer came up big with his career-tying 30 points  and two key free throws (8-8 in game) with just under 15 seconds remaining in the game to ice it. Houston had the lead from the start of the game with the first bucket and never allowed the Bulldogs to snag it.

This was one of the more balanced games of the tournament so far, as Gonzaga had an answer fkr everything the Cougars did. Both teams shot roughly the same from the field, with the Cougars having an edge in rebounds, steals, and blocks.

The Cougars had been getting 74.5 points each game and have given up 58.4 points per battle. So far for this run in the tournament, they are getting 79.5 points and holding teams to 58.0 points.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

The best Purdue Boilermakers vs. Houston Cougars betting odds have been provided by MyBookie, revealing the Cougars as 7.5-point favorites. The Cougars have a 79.4 percent chance of winning, per market predictions.

Purdue has had an easy run so far and they have not won by a large amount. Look for the polished Cougars to cover the spread. 

Final Pick: Houston Cougars -7.5 (-115)