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The Texas Longhorns will pay out a sweet $225 for every $100 bet on the moneyline should they advance from the Sweet 16 facing off against Purdue on Thursday.
Texas opened as a +6.5 underdog on the spread for this game after stunning Gonzaga Saturday night.
Jordan Pope and Matas Vokietaitis each scored 17 points, Camden Heide hit a game-sealing 3-pointer and Texas became the first team in five years to go from the NCAA Tournament's First Four to the Sweet 16, beating Gonzaga 74-68 on Saturday.
First-year coach Sean Miller's 11th-seeded Longhorns (21-14), who lost five of six entering the tournament and looked underwhelming in their First Four win over N.C. State, will face either No. 2 seed Purdue or No. 7 seed Miami on Thursday in the West Region semifinals in San Jose, California.
The last First Four team to reach the Sweet 16 was UCLA, which made it all the way to the Final Four in 2021.
“Our ride has never been easy, but we fought the good fight the whole way and we did it again,” Miller said.
Meanwhile, Purdue is set to face 11th-seeded Texas in the West Region semifinals Thursday in San Jose, California after knocking off Miami Sunday.
Fletcher Loyer scored 24 points, Trey Kaufman-Renn had 19 points and nine rebounds, and No. 2 seed Purdue beat Miami 79-69 on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the Sweet 16 for the third straight time and seventh in the last nine years.
In his first game since breaking Bobby Hurley's NCAA career record for assists, Braden Smith had 12 points and eight assists but was also harassed by Miami's athletic guards into eight turnovers, matching his career high.
Smith hit four free throws in the final minute after seventh-seeded Miami (26-9) had cut an 11-point deficit to 73-69, helping to secure Matt Painter's 500th victory in his 21st season as Purdue's coach. He is just 12 short of Gene Keady's school record.
For those wondering, the Longhorns would pay out $20,000 to $40,000 for every $100 bet should they somehow manage to win the 2026 NCAA College Basketball Championship.
- Tyrone Black, Gambling911.com
