Better late than never. The Purdue Boilermakers finally resembled their preseason No. 1 form in their Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament opener, rolling past the Northwestern Wildcats 81–68.
After losing three of their last four to slip to the No. 7 seed, Purdue now advances to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the quarterfinals.
The formula was simple — feed the bigs. That approach should continue against Nebraska, meaning plenty of touches for 6-foot-11 senior Oscar Cluff, who led the way with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting against Northwestern.
Our Purdue vs. Nebraska predictions point to the Boilermakers with my college basketball picks counting on Cluff to continue his dominance inside.
Purdue vs Nebraska prediction
Purdue vs Nebraska best bet
Purdue vs Nebraska best bet: Oscar Cluff Over 8.5 points (-120)
Oscar Cluff averaged just 5.5 FGAs in Big Ten play but his nine shots versus the Nebraska Cornhuskers tied for his second most shots in the regular season. He made five buckets and went 2 for 7 from the line for 12 points.
Cluff was a focal point of the Purdue Boilermakers’ offense Thursday and enters Friday with projections as high as 12+ points.
Nebraska pushes everything to the perimeter but struggles to defend the post once penetrating passes reach the paint. It also has issues keeping bigs from the offensive glass, where Cluff recorded 10 offensive boards in the last meeting.
Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account
Purdue vs Nebraska same-game parlay
The Boilermakers looked like a totally different team than the program that seemed to sleepwalk through Big Ten play. And while Nebraska is the higher seed, the Huskers haven’t beaten anyone of consequence since a hot start to conference play back in December.
Cluff has tallied nine or more points in four of his last five games and will see almost twice his average in field goal attempts. Game models sit between nine and 12.1 points.
Fletcher Loyer was 4 for 17 from 3-point land in the first meeting with Nebraska. The Cornhuskers sell out of plugging up the middle and force foes to launch a lot of triples. His shot volume from deep sees a spike Friday.
Purdue vs Nebraska SGP
- Purdue moneyline
- Oscar Cluff Over 8.5 points
- Fletcher Loyer Over 2.5 3-pointers
Our beyond the arc SGP: Cluff Has The Stuff
Cluff could have a stacked scoresheet by the time the smoke settles in Chicago. He snatched 14 boards against Nebraska last time and has dished out two or more assists in three straight games.
Purdue vs Nebraska SGP
- Purdue Boilermakers -3.5
- Oscar Cluff Over 8.5 points
- Oscar Cluff Over 7.5 rebounds
- Oscar Cluff Over 1.5 assists
Purdue vs Nebraska odds
- Spread: Purdue -3.5 | Nebraska +3.5
- Moneyline: Purdue -170 | Nebraska +145
- Over/Under: Over 143.5 | Under 143.5
Purdue vs Nebraska betting trend to know
Purdue has gone Over the total in 14 of its last 20 games (+7.40 Units/34% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for Purdue vs. Nebraska.
How to watch Purdue vs Nebraska
| Location | United Center, Chicago, IL |
| Date | Friday, March 13, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 6:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | BTN |
Purdue vs Nebraska key injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
