🏀 Queens vs. Purdue Prediction & Picks: March Madness First Round (March 20)
No. 15 Queens is making its March Madness debut, but it's likely to be a short dance, as they take on No. 2 Purdue, which is just two years removed from a national championship appearance.
My best Queens vs. Purdue prediction for Friday's 7:35 p.m. ET game at Enterprise Center in St. Louis (truTV, March Madness Live) focuses on the significant advantage Purdue's offense has over Queens' defense. Purdue is favored by 25.5, but the Big Ten Tournament champs could end up with the largest winning margin of the weekend.
For more NCAA Tournament picks, check out our March Madness predictions.
🏀 Queens vs. Purdue picks & odds: March Madness First Round
See all of our experts' college basketball picks based on the latest college basketball odds; picks rated on a 1-to-5 star confidence scale based on betting value.
| Pick | Best odds | Units | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purdue -25.5 | -110 via bet365 | 3u -> 2.73u | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Over 163.5 | -110 via bet365 | 1u -> 0.91u | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Trey Kaufman-Renn Over 9.5 rebounds | -105 via bet365 | 1.5u -> 1.43u | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Total wagered: 4.5 units | Max profit: 4.16 units
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🏆 Who will win Queens vs. Purdue?
See the latest March Madness odds for every team in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
I'm taking Purdue to win this game by 37 points because they have the top adjusted offensive rating in the nation according to KenPom, while Queens ranks 322nd in adjusted defensive rating.
Score prediction: Purdue 101, Queens 64
💰 Queens vs. Purdue prediction & best bet
Purdue -25.5 (-110)
Not only is Purdue averaging 81.7 points per game and 49.9% from the field this season, but they get to face a defense that is allowing 82.9 points per game, which ranks 353rd in the nation. Purdue is also averaging 11.3 offensive rebounds per game and should get plenty of extra possessions against a team that ranks 267th in rebounds per game.
Queens, which likes to play fast and is ranked 62nd in possessions per game, will want to create more possessions. That's a recipe for disaster against the nation's most efficient offense.
🔥 Best Queens vs. Purdue player prop bet
Trey Kaufman-Renn Over 9.5 rebounds (-105)
Kaufman-Renn leads Purdue with 8.5 rebounds per game, as he enters a matchup with one of the worst rebounding teams in the country.
Kaufman-Renn is particularly good on the offensive glass, recording 2.9 per contest this season. He should go well over that number as Queens allows opponents to grab 30.1% of their offensive rebounding opportunities, which ranks 264th nationally.
And while I got burned backing Kaufman-Renn in the Big Ten championship game, where he recorded just three rebounds, he's still grabbed at least 10 rebounds in 13 games this season.
That's depsite only playing more than 20 minutes against three non-power conference teams all season. He managed at least 11 rebounds in each of those contests.
🚀 Queens vs. Purdue same-game parlay
Queens wants to play fast, and Purdue is going to be fine with that.
The Boilermakers should have no trouble scoring at will against one of the least efficient defenses in the nation, while Kaufman-Renn cleans up the offensive glass whenever Purdue does miss.
The best price for this parlay is at bet365, and I'll risk a full unit because of the confidence I have in Purdue.
💵 Queens vs. Purdue SGP picks
- Purdue -25.5 (-110)
- Over 163.5 (-110)
- Trey Kaufman-Renn Over 9.5 rebounds (-105)
Best odds: +612 via bet365 (1u -> 6.12u)
💵 My betting record for college basketball
All college basketball picks, including SGPs, have been tracked since March 13.
| Bet type | Record | Net profit | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 10-14 | +1.09 units ✅ | +3.6% ✅ |
| Game picks | 6-8 | -1.83 units ❌ | -9.6% ❌ |
| Player props | 2-2 | -0.87 units ❌ | -13.3% ❌ |
| Parlays | 2-4 | +3.79 units ✅ | +75.7% ✅ |
💡 How I'm betting Queens vs. Purdue: March Madness strategy
Follow all of our college basketball analysis and expert predictions for March Madness.
Checking out the March Madness betting trends, the Over has hit in 21 of Queens' games this season. I'm anticipating the Royals speeding this game up and Purdue benefiting from it.
I believe Purdue will be the highest scoring team of the first round, so I'm thrilled to risk three units on them covering a huge spread.
And while I like the Over, I worry that even if Purdue breaks 100, the Boilermakers will slow down the game late, and Queens will barely top 60. But all those missed shots will be great for my 1.5-unit play on Kaufman-Renn.
📊 Live Queens vs. Purdue odds: March Madness First Round
Purdue opened as the 23.5-point betting favorite at the best sports betting sites, and it didn't take long for this to become a 25.5-point spread. I'd take this as high as 32.5, so I'm not at all concerned with the spread growing, which I think it will continue to do before tipoff.
As for the total, the number opened at 165.5, and it has since dropped to 163.5.
With the price for the Over at -105, it seems the total is in danger of dropping again. I'd recommend waiting to see if you can get this at 161.5 or 162.5.
📈 Queens vs. Purdue betting trends
| Queens | Statistic | Purdue |
|---|---|---|
| 21-13 | Record | 27-8 |
| 14-18-1 | ATS record | 15-20 |
| 21-12 | O/U record | 18-17 |
| 181st | KenPom ranking | 8th |
| 115.8 (77th) | Adj. offensive rating (rank) | 131.6 (1st) |
| 117.2 (322nd) | Adj. defensive rating (rank) | 100.4 (36th) |
📺 How to watch Queens vs. Purdue: March Madness First Round
- Date: Friday, March 20
- Tipoff: 7:35 p.m. ET
- Location: Enterprise Center (St. Louis)
- TV: truTV
- Streaming: March Madness Live
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