The Purdue men's basketball team has a chance to make history on Friday when they take on the No. 1 seed Houston Cougars. With a win, the Boilermakers will advance to back-to-back Elite 8s for the first time in program history and inch closer to a second consecutive National Championship appearance. However, the Cougars are one of the best teams in the entire country and will be the heavy favorites coming into the game, meaning it will be an uphill battle for head coach Matt Painter and his squad.
How to watch Purdue vs. Houston
- Date: Friday, March 28
- Time: 10:09 p.m. EST
- Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis, IN)
- How to Watch (TV): TBS/TruTV
- Streaming: Fubo TV
- Purdue record: 24-11
- Houston record: 32-4
Purdue vs. Houston odds, spread and total
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook
Moneyline
- Purdue +300
- Houston -385
Spread
- Purdue +7.5 (-102)
- Houston -7.5 (-120)
Total
- 132.5 (over -110/under -110)
Purdue injury report
- N/A
Houston injury report
- N/A
Purdue and Houston series history
- Purdue all-time record vs. Houston: 2-1
Purdue vs. Houston prediction
While Purdue has had an excellent season in an underrated Big Ten Conference and boasts a duo of All-American players, their run in March Madness will end against Houston in the Sweet 16. The Cougars are as battle-tested as any team in the country and have shown no signs of weakness, as the biggest of their four losses were five-point defeats at neutral sites against Auburn and Alabama.
Head coach Matt Painter has plenty of experience coaching in the NCAA Tournament, but so does Houston's Kelvin Sampson. The Cougars just pressure the ball in a way that the Boilermakers have not seen, and if star point guard Braden Smith gets out of his rhythm at all, it could be bad news for Purdue.
This game should be close from the opening tip, but Houston proved all season that they are built to outlast even the best teams in the country. Purdue should have a large crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium, but they'll likely leave disappoin.