Purdue Appeared Unstoppable in NCAA Tournament Opener
While the other regions have been seeing results going against the March Madness predictions, things have gone according to form in the East Region including No. 3 seed Purdue meeting sixth-seeded Texas.
Both teams fell short in their conference tournaments with Texas falling in the Big 12 quarterfinals and Purdue losing to Iowa in the Big Ten title game so both teams have something to prove.
Purdue (+1400) is tied for sixth in the odds to win the national championship while Texas comes in at +4000.
Let’s check the latest news, stats, injury reports, and March Madness Odds for Texas vs. Purdue. We have plenty of predictions for you to consider.
Slow Start Offensively Doesn’t Derail Texas
If Texas proved nothing else in its opening game in the March Madness bracket it is that how you start isn’t as important as how you finish.
The Longhorns needed almost five minutes to score their first points in Friday’s first-round game. Texas missed its first eight shots before Timmy Allen grabbed his own miss and scored. The good news is that the Longhorns’ stifling defense only allowed ACC tournament champion Virginia Tech to score six points as the Longhorns tried to figure things out on offense. Texas took its first lead with 11 minutes left in the first half but only led by two points at halftime.
Texas held Virginia Tech without a field goal for 5½ minutes en route to the eight-point win.
Virginia Tech actually had a better field-goal percentage than Texas, which is something of a rarity this season but the Longhorn connected on 53% of its 3-point attempts to survive and advance. Andrew Jones and Marcus Carr were a combined 8-of-13 from 3-point range.
Three of the last four Texas games have finished under the Las Vegas odds total.
No Early March Madness Departure for Purdue
After a stunning and sudden end to its season a year ago with a loss to No. 13 seed North Texas, Purdue was taking no chances against Ivy League champion Yale.
Purdue needed all of 16 seconds to regain the lead when Yale went in front for the only time in the game. Jaden Ivey had five points as Purdue scored 10 straight points after Yale took the lead. It was a 13-point game at halftime and after back-to-back hoops to open the second half pulled Yale within nine, Ivey started heating up from the perimeter and 7-foot-4 Zach Edey kept Yale from getting anything inside.
Jaden Ivey and Purdue enjoy a feel-good start to the Boilers' most anticipated NCAA Tournament in years: https://t.co/toNVgDAvMl
— Gregg Doyel (@GreggDoyelStar) March 19, 2022
Purdue’s 78-56 win came while shooting lower percentages from the field and from 3-point range but the Boilermakers made more than enough shots to keep Yale from making a serious run at an upset.
“We all felt the [sting] of losing last year so I felt like all of our guys were motivated,” said Ivey, a sophomore guard who finished with 22 points.
Purdue was 0-9-1 against the college basketball spreads in its last 10 games before its win over Yale.
Texas vs. Purdue Head-to-Head
Something to consider for those who bet online, Texas has won the last three games against Purdue. The Longhorns won 70-66 in 2019 as a seven-point underdog and 72-68 in 2018 as a two-point underdog.
Texas was victorious the last time the teams met in the March Madness brackets with a 77-67 win in 2003. The last Purdue win came in 1999.
Purdue’s last game against a No. 6 seed was a 26-point win over Villanova in 2019 as a 3½-point favorite.
The Longhorns haven’t played a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament since 2008.
Texas vs. Purdue Game Information
- Game: Texas (22-11) vs. Purdue (28-7)
- Location: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Day/Time: Sunday, March 20, 8:40 p.m. ET
- Television: NCAA
- 2022 March Madness bracket
Texas vs. Purdue Betting Lines
Texas vs. Purdue Prediction
It will be the irresistible force running into the immovable object as Texas ranks in the top 10 nationally in scoring defense and Purdue is one of the top 10 scoring offenses. Purdue can be lights out from 3-point range and is one of the top rebounding teams in the country while rebounding is not a strength of this Texas team.
Both teams lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament last season. It was the fourth straight first-round exit for the Longhorns.
Purdue is 7-2 in its last nine NCAA tournament games when the March Madness odds list the Boilermakers as a favorite.
