NCAAB Indiana vs Purdue: Predictions, How To Watch and Best Bets

Purdue is facing a pressure situation. This hasn’t been a good year overall for the school’s athletic department, and the Boilermakers’ problems have been magnified by the success of their southern rival.

Purdue hasn’t gotten anything over on Indiana this year in sports. In football, not only did the Hoosiers unload on the Boilers, but they followed by winning the Big Ten and the national championship. Purdue fans comforted themselves with the thought that things would be better in basketball, but Indiana then won the first meeting in Bloomington.

So Purdue will have a nervous crowd behind it in West Lafayette. The Boilermakers have to at least earn a split with Indiana, for the sake of their fan base. Indiana’s pressure is more focused on its players: the Hoosiers have to get a big win to get on the right side of the bubble. Right now, the Hoosiers would be one of the last teams in or close to it.

Other than Michigan State, this is Indiana’s best shot to get a Quad 1 win. That means both teams will feel pressure, which can work either way.

Here’s a look at this rivalry game.

All Odds as of 01:12 p.m. ET on Feb. 20

How to Watch Indiana vs. Purdue

Location: Mackey Arena, West Lafayette, Ind.

Date: February 20, 2026

Time: 8 p.m. Eastern

TV: Fox

Indiana vs. Purdue Prediction

Best Bet: Purdue -11.5 (-108, via FanDuel)

There’s a reason Indiana is near the NCAA cut line: the Hoosiers have been poor on the road. Indiana has played on the road nine times this season and gone just 3-6, with five of the losses coming by at least nine points.

The Hoosiers lost by 12 at Michigan, 12 at Kentucky, 21 at Michigan State and 20 at Illinois. Purdue is a lot closer to those teams than to Minnesota or USC, which Indiana stuck close with.

There’s also the fact that the Boilermakers should come in looking to prove a point. Purdue played in front of a fired-up crowd on Tuesday against Michigan, but quickly found itself overwhelmed by the Wolverines. The Boilers should shoot a lot better than they did on Tuesday, which would present real problems for Indiana.

Indiana vs. Purdue Same Game Parlay

• Purdue -11.5

• Under 149.5

• Braden Smith Over 8.5 Assists

This is Braden Smith’s last game against Indiana, unless the teams meet in the Big Ten tournament. Regardless, it’s his last time facing the Hoosiers in Mackey Arena, and that means motivation to put on a big performance.

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Not only is Smith Purdue’s all-time assist leader, but he’s from Westfield and grew up in between this rivalry. When a player stays in-state for college, the in-state rivalry means more than almost anything to them. Smith had 12 assists at Iowa and 10 at Nebraska, and he’ll likely be looking to set up Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer from the opening whistle.

Indiana has a history of struggling to score away from home. Out of six road losses, the Hoosiers got held under 65 points four times. Purdue’s defense is capable of something similar, and if Indiana doesn’t break 65, the total will be very difficult to reach.