Purdue Boilermakers vs Ohio State Buckeyes Prediction, 3/1/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Purdue Boilermakers vs Ohio State Buckeyes

Date: Sunday, March 1, 2026

Location: Value City Arena in Columbus, OH

TV: ESPN+

The Purdue Boilermakers (22-6) are headed to Value City Arena on Sunday where they will attempt to beat the Ohio State Buckeyes (17-11).

The Purdue Boilermakers faced off with Michigan State and took a loss by a final of 76-74 in their last contest. In regard to fouls, the Boilermakers walked away with 15 and Michigan State accumulated 13 fouls. They buried 6 out of their 19 shots from long range. Michigan State shot 75.0% when shooting free throws by making 12 of their 16 tries. Additionally, Michigan State collected 23 rebounds (6 offensive, 17 defensive), but didn't have a block. Michigan State recorded 15 dimes and had 6 steals for the game. In relation to defense, Purdue allowed 52.7% from the field on 29 of 55 shooting. They also distributed 23 assists in the matchup as well as forcing the opposition into 4 turnovers and earning 3 steals. When it comes to rebounding, they compiled 25 with 7 of them being on the offensive end. At the charity stripe, the Boilermakers knocked down 6 of their 9 attempts for a percentage of 66.7%. Purdue finished the game with a 49.1% FG percentage (28 out of 57) and buried 12 of 25 shots from beyond the perimeter.

Braden Smith is a player who was a major factor for the matchup. He finished the game at 40.0% from the floor and dished out 10 assists. He played for 37 mins played and also collected 5 boards. He racked up 12 points on 4 out of 10 shooting.

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Purdue will enter this contest with a record of 22-6 on the season. They turn it over 9.1 times per contest and as a squad they commit 14.8 personal fouls every game. As a unit, Purdue is grabbing 36.1 rebounds per contest and is sitting with 555 dimes on the year, which is 3rd in the country in terms of passing. The Boilermakers are connecting on 38.4% on three-point shots (262 of 683) and 74.1% from the charity stripe. They currently have an average of 82.6 pts per game (50th in college hoops) while hitting 50.1% from the field.

On the defensive end, the Boilermakers are forcing 10.9 turnovers per game and they draw 17.2 personal fouls. They are currently ranked 228th in D-1 in allowing assists to the opposition with 399 relinquished this year. The Boilermakers defensively are giving up a field goal percentage of 43.7% (706 of 1,615) and they surrender 29.0 rebounds per game as a unit. They surrender 33.1% on 3-pointers and they are 65th in college in points per game from their opponents (69.5).

When they last stepped on the court, the Ohio State Buckeyes took a loss by a score of 74-57 when they faced Iowa. In the matter of rebounding, Ohio State allowed Iowa to grab 26 in total (4 on the offensive glass). They finished 27.8% from 3-point land by shooting 5 out of 18 and finished the game at 15 out of 17 at the free throw line (88.2%). The Buckeyes permitted Iowa to knock down 27 of 47 tries from the floor which left them with a rate of 57.4% for this contest. Overall, the Buckeyes walked away from this one shooting 18 out of 43 from the field which gave them a rate of 41.9%. In regard to shots from downtown, Ohio State converted 7 of 14 attempts (50.0%). They were able to make 14 of the free throws for a rate of 66.7%. Iowa committed 19 fouls in the matchup which got the Buckeyes to the charity stripe for a total of 21 attempts. They also coughed up the ball 11 times, while getting 3 steals for this game. The Buckeyes were able to snag 17 defensive rebounds and 5 offensive rebounds for a total of 22 for the game.

Devin Royal was important for the Buckeyes for the contest. He knocked down 5 out of 9 for this game giving him a field goal percentage of 55.6%, and accumulated 2 rebounds. He racked up 16 points in his 34 minutes on the hardwood, but wasn't able to notch an assist.

Ohio State has a mark of 17-11 on the campaign. As an offense, the Buckeyes are shooting 48.6% from the floor, which is 31st in the nation. Ohio State has 2,227 pts for the season (79.5 per game) and they average 33.9 rebounds per contest. Their rate of assisting teammates is at 14.4 times per contest (152nd in the country) and they cough up possession 10.5 times per contest. The Buckeyes have committed 17.9 personal fouls per game and they go 77.3% from the charity stripe.

The Buckeyes on the defensive end are ranked 165th in college in PPG surrendered with 73.1. They are able to force 10.8 turnovers per game and have allowed teams to shoot 43.5% from the floor (138th in D-1). The Ohio State defense allows 30.7% on shots from distance (203 of 661) and opponents are knocking down 73.5% of their shots from the charity stripe. They have relinquished 13.3 assists and 32.4 rebounds every game, ranking them 173rd and 64th in college hoops.

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Purdue

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