#21 Auburn vs. #6 Purdue Picks and Predictions: Indy Classic

The Indy Classic features a top 10 team not too far from the arena facing off against a top 20 SEC opponent looking to take down a formidable foe. The No. 6 ranked Purdue Boilermakers take on the No. 21 Auburn Tigers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, just over an hour drive from West Lafayette. That's nothing for the average Midwest sports fan, let alone a Boilermaker Basketball Fanatic. Will Steven Pearl's team be able to compete with Purdue in what will feel like a road game? Our expert picks are below, let's see what they think.

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Go check out what else I've got on my daily card, and view the latest odds at the best online sportsbooks.

#21 Auburn Tigers vs. #6 Purdue Boilermakers NCAA Basketball Insights

Tahaad Pettiford plays 30.4 minutes a game for the Tigers

While Auburn has three forgivable losses on their record, they only have two good wins, maybe three. Eh, I'll give them two and a half total. The Tigers wins this year come against a bunch of cupcake teams, except for Oregon (in Las Vegas),  No. 14 St. John's (in Vegas) and against NC State. Beating the Johnnies is impressive, but those other two don't quite move the needle for me. However they have three top 10 losses, losing to Houston, Michigan and Arizona, the last two in embarrassing fashion. Can they change anything as they face the No. 6 Boilermakers?

Purdue has been perfect aside from one small hiccup. They started off 8-0 with wins at No. 8 Alabama and over No. 15 Texas Tech by 30 in the Baha Mar Championship. Then the Iowa State Cyclones came to Mackey Arena and made Purdue look like they forgot how to play basketball. However, side note, the Cyclones are just that good. You hate to lose that game at home, especially by 23 as a four point favorite, but that was a good "come back down to Earth" moment for the team, and since then they've thrived.

Over the past month, the Boilermakers are 5-1 against the spread and straight up, covering 13.5, 17, 20, and 40.5 point spreads in the process.

Matchup Information – Auburn vs. Purdue – December 20

• Venue & Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, IN)
• Date: Saturday, December 20, 2025
• Kick Off: 6:30 p.m. Eastern
• Broadcast: Peacock

Auburn vs. Purdue Betting Odds

Odds are courtesy of Lucky Rebel, one of our favorite online sportsbooks, as of December 19, 2025 at 4:17 p.m. eastern. Sign up today with and get a $1,250 deposit bonus, as well as 50 slot spins immediately. Lucky Rebel Sportsbook offers a wide variety of unique markets across nearly every sport imaginable.

Spread

• Auburn +8.5 (-115)
• Purdue -8.5 (-105)

Total

• Over 155.5 (-108)
• Under 155.5 (-112)

#21 Auburn vs. #6 Purdue NCAA Basketball Picks and Predictions

Trey Kaufman-Renn is averaging a double double this season, shooting 58.2% from the field

Auburn vs. Purdue Prediction: Purdue Wins, Auburn Covers, Under 155.5

Best Bet: Auburn/Purdue Under 155.5 (-112) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook

As of 4:21 p.m. eastern on Friday December 19, I have not yet booked this. I might wait until as close to tip off as I can, as this line keeps on ticking. The first total I saw for this game was 152.5, and it quickly went up a couple points to 154.5 where it currently sits on most books. However, again, at the time of writing, there are some 155.5s out there, as well as a single 156. I'm going to be a little greedy and see how high it will go, but at 155 it's certainly a play.

Purdue is not at home, but it will feel like it, and I see them controlling the pace of the game, where they are bottom 40 in the nation. This translates to also ranking bottom 40 in free throw rate, as they are patient, run their sets on the outside, and typically get a good look close to the hoop. Purdue doesn't take too many threes (although they shoot them well), but they are top 30 in adjusted defensive efficiency and third in FT Rate defense. While the Tigers do get to the stripe, they might struggle to do so against the Boilermakers on Saturday.

Auburn isn't overly quick, and again, they won't have many fast break opportunities anyways with how slow Purdue plays. Their legs may also be tired from playing defense for a full 30 seconds every single possession. They don't shoot threes on offense, and can't knock them down when they do.

This Tigers team lost to Michigan 102-72, and to Arizona 97-68. Purdue isn't fast enough to score as many points, but they certainly have the defense to stop the Tigers from reaching 70. I see the Boilermakers winning this game 79-68, staying well under our number.

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