NC State (26-14) vs Purdue (33-4)
When: Saturday, April 6th, 2024
Where: State Farm Stadium,
Glendale, AZ
Time: 6:09 ET | TV: CBS
Opening Odds: Purdue -8/147.5
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No 11-seed team has ever made it to the National Championship game. The North Carolina State Wolfpack have a chance to be the first when they take on No. 1 seed Purdue in the Final Four from Glendale, Arizona on Saturday night. The Boilermakers are a 9.5-point favorite with a total set at 145.5. NC State is +1100 to win the title, while Purdue is +210 to cut down the nets on Monday night.
This is the fourth appearance in the Final Four for NC State and the first since winning it all in 1983. It’s been a miracle ride for the Pack over the last month. They were not getting an at-large bid, so they had to win the ACC Tournament – which they did. NC State has won nine games in a row and everyone of them has been an elimination game on a neural floor. They are 20-19-1 against the spread overall, but 7-1 ATS in their last eight.
It’s not a surprise Purdue is here, losing just four games all season. The Boilermakers have made only two previous trips to the Final Four in 1969 and 1980 as they continue to search for their first national title in school history. Purdue has rolled through the tournament thus far including wins over Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 and Tennessee in the Elite Eight. Purdue is 10-1 SU in their last 11 games and 10-1 SU in neutral site games this year.
NORTH CAROLINA STATE WOLFPACK
NC State has been impressive in their last two victories as they knocked off No. 2 Marquette in the Sweet 16 and No. 4 Duke in the Elite Eight. DJ Burns Jr. has become a fan favorite and finished with 29 points against Duke. DJ Horne added 20 points and is averaging 16.5 points in the tournament. The defense held Marquette to just 12.9 percent shooting from three and in the Elite Eight they held Duke to 32.2 percent from the field.
PURDUE BOILERMAKERS
Purdue has bounced back strong in this year’s tournament after a first round exit in 2023. They have won their tournament games by an average of 21 points a game. Their 72-66 win against No. 2 Tennessee in the Elite Eight was their closest game of the tournament. Zach Edey scored a career-high 40 points and added 16 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the tournament. Purdue has the second-best 3-point shooting percentage in the nation, but went just 3-of-15 against Tennessee.
PREDICTION
How can you go against this NC State team right now? They have won nine in a row and have been an underdog in seven of them. The Wolfpack have the size to at least disrupt and frustrate Edey a bit. Purdue is the better team but they will be tested physically. Give me the points.
Pick: NC State +9.5
