1 Arizona vs 2 Purdue: Opening Odds
Purdue is 40 minutes away from the Final Four but it will be against their best opponent yet.
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 26: Trey Kaufman-Renn #4 of the Purdue Boilermakers celebrates with teammates after making the game-winning shot against the Texas Longhorns during the second half in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at SAP Center on March 26, 2026 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images As exciting as it was for Trey Kaufman-Renn to make a tip in with less than 1 second remaining to secure a victory in the Sweet Sixteen over 11-seed Texas, the Purdue Boilermakers need to quickly shift their focus on their toughest opponent thusfar in the tournament, Arizona. The Wildcats are one of three overwhelming picks to win the the tournament this season alongside Duke and Michigan.
Led by Tommy Lloyd, who finally broke through with his Arizona squad to the Elite Eight, this team is stacked. Freshman duo Koa Peat and Brayden Burries lead the Wildcats in scoring but Arizona has 7 different players averaging over 8. 5 points per game.
For a team that scores over 85 points per game, they don’t bury you with 3’s but rather an inside attack that seems to be unmatched in the nation. Of course, you only need to win once to make it to the Final Four in Indianapolis. So Purdue will take on by far its best opponent of the tournament in what looks to be a marquee matchup.
According to our friends over at FanDuel , Purdue opens as a 5. 5-point underdog. It really goes to show that this Arizona squad is highly regarded as this is a 1-2 matchup.