Houston Aims for Sweet 16 Glory Against Purdue in NCAA Showdown
Expert analysis and predictions for the upcoming match between Houston and Purdue in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament.
The No. 1 seed Houston Cougars aim to move one step closer to the 2025 Final Four when they take on the No. 4 seed Purdue Boilermakers in the Sweet 16 on Friday. The Cougars are seeking their seventh trip to the Final Four and second under head coach Kelvin Sampson. Houston defeated SIU Edwardsville 78-40 in the first round and followed that up with an 81-76 win over Gonzaga in the second round. Purdue reached Sweet 16 by defeating High Point 75-63 in the first round and McNeese 76-62 in the second round.
Tipoff is at 10:09 p.m. ET from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Cougars are 8.5-point favorites in the latest Houston vs. Purdue odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 134.5. Before making any Purdue vs. Houston picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions from SportsLine expert Micah Roberts.
Why Houston can cover
Houston is arguably the best defensive team remaining in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, allowing only 58.4 points per game and holding opponents to 38.4% shooting from the field. Offensively, Houston averages 74.5 points per game.
Veteran guard L.J. Cryer leads Houston, averaging 15.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. Supporting forward J’Wan Roberts averages 6.3 rebounds per game.
Why Purdue can cover
Purdue is one of the premier shooting teams left in the tournament, hitting 48.8% of field goals and 38.5% from three-point range. The Boilermakers excel in ball control, crucial against Houston’s high-pressure defense. Many of head coach Matt Painter’s players were pivotal in last year’s national championship game.
Leading the Boilermakers this season are forward Trey Kaufman-Renn, averaging 20.3 points and 6.5 rebounds, and guard Braden Smith with 8.5 assists and 16.0 points.
How to make Purdue vs. Houston picks
Roberts has thoroughly analyzed the matchup from every angle and is leaning towards the Under on total points. He’s found a significant X-factor that has influenced his view on the spread. Discover what this X-factor is and which side of the spread to support at SportsLine.
