Purdue vs Miami is one of those second round matchups that turned out to be a good thing.
No offense to Queens University, but Purdue was the No. 1 team in the country to start the season, it’s playing at a high level now, and the 33-point win showed it.
Also, nothing against Missouri, but it was more of a bubble-shaky 10-seed than a team that deserved to play in front of a near-home St. Louis crowd in the opening weekend. Miami took care of that in an 80-66 win that wasn’t as bad as the final score.
The Boilermakers are on a five-game winning streak after a rough second half stretch, Miami played well over the finishing kick, and the winner will be good enough to keep the run going.
Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer (2) reacts after a three pointer during the second half against the Queens University of Charlotte Royals during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament First Round-Queens at Purdue
(NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament First Round-Queens at Purdue)Purdue vs Miami Game Preview: Can Either Side Hit a Consistent Three?Purdue vs Miami How To Watch
Date: Sunday, March 22
Venue: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO
Time: 12:10 pm ET
TV: CBS
Streaming: March Madness Live App, Paramount+, HBO Max
Teams: (2) Purdue 28-8, (7) Miami 26-8
CFN Spring Football Rankings
Miami 7 | Purdue 63
First Round
Miami 80, Missouri 66
Purdue 104, Queens 71
– CFN NCAA Tournament Schedule, Previews
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Key Stats
– Miami only made 17 of 29 free throws against Missouri.
– Purdue hit 63% of its shots in the win over Queens.
Why Miami Will Win: Purdue Needs To Be Off
Purdue has been a puzzling team this year. It has the NCAA’s all-time assist leader in Braden Smith feeding the ball everywhere, there’s size inside, great playmakers all over the place, and yet the team doesn’t get to the free throw line.
Even worse, there were some awful performances late in the season when the shots just weren’t falling. The team went 3-4 this season when it failed to make more than 45% from the floor.
The Hurricanes don’t play a lot of D, but they rose up and produced against Missouri, they keep the pressure on by scoring and stressing the other side to keep up, and they don’t screw up. They won’t give Purdue anything easy.
But again, Purdue has to be a wee bit off for Miami to win. The Hurricanes have to play like they did on Friday to make that happen.
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Why Purdue Will Win: Miami Can’t Hit Free Throws
Beating a team as decent as Mizzou in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by 14 is good no matter what. However, it could’ve been a lot easier if the Hurricanes could hit their free throws.
They made just 59% from the floor, and Missouri stayed alive for a bit by making 16-of-18 from the line.
The Hurricane offense is okay from three, but it won’t be as sharp as it was in the first round, and it won’t be a lock to hammer inside on the decent Purdue size. It’s going to need those points on the free throw line.
Purdue vs Miami Prediction, Betting Lines
The Hurricanes might have been great against Missouri, but that was ugly all the way around for most of the game. This will be different.
They can’t stop the three, and overall, the defense isn’t tight enough. Purdue won’t be perfect, but it’ll keep the points steadily coming, and on the other end, rebound every big outside Miami miss.
Don’t let the bad Missouri stats fool you – it missed plenty of opportunities that had little to do with the Hurricane defense. Purdue will keep it simple by winning the game inside.
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Prediction: Purdue 81, Miami 73
Consensus Line: Purdue -7.5, o/u: 147.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2.5
Consensus Line from BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
This story was originally published by College Football News on Mar 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Basketball section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.