NCAA Basketball
2026-03-22 - Miami Hurricanes at Purdue Boilermakers
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : NCAA Basketball Tournament Second Round
Sunday 22nd March 2026 - Scheduled 12:10pm
4:10pm (British Time)
Preview
If they had played with a bit more intensity on the Defensive side of the court, the Purdue Boilermakers would have almost certainly been set as Number 1 Seed in the NCAA Tournament. For now the Offensive power is going to be good enough against most opponents they would expect to face, but the Boilermakers are going to have to be focused to avoid allowing the underdog to have an opportunity.
The Miami Hurricanes lost two of the last three games before being invited into the Tournament as a Number 7 Seed, and they should take plenty of confidence out of the performance in the First Round. The Hurricanes may have been favoured, but they were not considered big favourites, and blew out the Missouri Tigers all the same.
It is not going to be an easy game for the Boilermakers and the Miami Hurricanes will believe they have the Offensive power to at least keep this one competitive and make things nervy for the higher Seed.
Over the last few games, the Hurricanes have been hitting 49% from the field and they can certainly use that kind of effort to hurt this Boilermakers team.
The scheduled tip off is a bit of a blow for Miami, who would have been hoping for a bit more preparation time ahead of taking on one of the best teams in the NCAA Tournament. They were pretty comfortable in the First Round win, but the Hurricanes are not the deepest team in the country and that could be an issue when it comes to the early start on Sunday.
This is all without mentioning the best Offensive unit in the College Basketball nation and Purdue have been firing down the stretch- they have hit 51% from the field, but they have a real advantage when it comes to the three point shooting. Unfortunately for Miami, Defending the arc has been problematic and this is something that Purdue are expecting to exploit.
Rebounding could be an area where Miami have the edge in their bid to keep this one competitive, but the dominant opening win for Purdue has only increased the momentum behind the team. They have won five in a row and they have tended to overwhelm opponents with their strong, efficient Offensive numbers and that could see the Boilermakers move through with some comfort into the Sweet 16 Round.
Prediction
Lay the points with one of the top Seeds during March Madness.
The Pick :
Purdue Boilermakers 84-74 Miami Hurricanes
