The Round of 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament gets underway on Thursday, and there are several polarizing matchups on the schedule. To begin Thursday’s slate, No. 11 seed Texas will face off against No. 2 seed Purdue in the West region.
The Boilermakers are 7.5-point favorites on PrizePicks Team Picks in a contest that tips off at 7:10 p.m. ET on CBS.
Below, we’ll break down our Texas vs. Purdue prediction on the spread for Thursday’s game. Make your college basketball picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money if you’re right, including on game winners, spreads, and totals!
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Texas vs. Purdue Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
Purdue has enjoyed a successful track record under head coach Matt Painter in the NCAA Tournament, advancing to its third straight regional semifinals. The Boilermakers earned an automatic bid into the 2026 NCAA Tournament after defeating Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament Final.
They've carried that hot streak to the 2026 NCAA Tournament, beginning with a convincing 104-71 win vs. No. 15 seed Queens University. The Boilermakers were tested by No. 7 Miami (FL) in the Round of 32, but still managed to come away with a 79-69 victory. Purdue senior G Fletcher Loyer paced the team with 24 points on 6-of-7 shooting and a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line.
Meanwhile, No. 11 Texas touts arguably the most impressive run of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, advancing to the second weekend following a play-in appearance vs. NC State.
Texas came away with a heart-pounding last-second 68-66 win vs. NC State to set up a meeting with No. 6 seed BYU in the first round. The Longhorns defeated the Cougars, 79-71, despite BYU star F AJ Dybantsa registering a 35-point performance. Finally, Texas earned its biggest upset in the Round of 32 with a 74-68 win vs. No. 3 seed Gonzaga.
An uphill battle could be ahead for the Longhorns, as Texas G Jordan Pope (13.1 PPG) is questionable to play due to an ankle injury.
Texas and Purdue have only met on three occasions all-time, with the Longhorns holding a 2-1 advantage. The two teams last faced in the 2021-22 season, when Purdue came away with a 81-71 win at home, covering a three-point spread in the process.
Texas vs. Purdue Spread, Over/Under
Purdue enters Thursday’s game as 7.5-point favorites, returning a 1.28x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
Texas is an underdog with a 3.7x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks, where you can earn money with your picks in 35 states.
- Spread: Purdue Boilermakers -7.5 (1.88x payout)
- Over/Under: 146.5 (1.81x payout on over)
- Game Winner Payout: Texas 3.7x | Purdue 1.28x
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
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Texas vs. Purdue Prediction on Spread for NCAA Tournament – 3/26/26
Here are the key stats to know before locking in your Texas vs. Purdue prediction on the spread for Thursday, March 26, on PrizePicks.
- Texas has a 11-5 against-the-spread record as an underdog, producing a 68.8% cover rate (second in the SEC).
- Purdue holds a 14-19 ATS record as a favorite.
- In its three 2026 NCAA Tournament games, Texas limited its opponents to only 25.9% (14-of-54) on 3-pointers.
- Per KenPom, Purdue owns the top offensive rating (131.9) in the country, and Texas isn’t far behind, ranked 15th with a 124.4 offensive rating.
- According to Bart Torvik, the Longhorns have the seventh-best free-throw rate (44.7) in the nation. Meanwhile, the Boilermakers are ranked 334th in that category (28.7).
- Texas averages 82.9 PPG — slightly higher than Purdue’s 82.2 points per contest.
- The Longhorns are 3-0 ATS over three 2026 NCAA Tournament games.
Make Texas vs. Purdue Picks on PrizePicks
Texas vs. Purdue picks for Thursday are just one of several ways that college basketball fans can get involved in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament action.
You can make your picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 35 states.
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