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Cam Spencer #12 and Donovan Clingan #32 of the Connecticut Huskies celebrate as we offer our best last-minute national championship game picks for Purdue vs. UConn ahead of Monday's NCAA Tournament final.
Cam Spencer #12 and Donovan Clingan #32 of the Connecticut Huskies celebrate in the second half against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal game at State Farm Stadium on April 06, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images via AFP.

We are providing our top last-minute predictions for the national championship game between Purdue and UConn, taking into account the latest March Madness odds before Monday’s final match.

Finally, the highly anticipated championship game of the 2024 NCAA Tournament is here. The top-seeded UConn Huskies (36-3) will take on the Purdue Boilermakers (34-4), also a No. 1 seed, in the March Madness final. The game is set to tip off on Monday at 9:20 p.m. ET on TBS, from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

According to our top sports betting websites, Connecticut is favored by 7 points to defeat Purdue and win the championship for the second consecutive year. If they succeed, they will become only the second team in the last 30 years to achieve back-to-back titles, following Florida in 2006-07. This victory would also be UConn’s sixth national championship, tying them with North Carolina for the third-most all time.

Purdue is aiming for its inaugural championship victory in program history following its first Final Four appearance since 1980. Zach Edey, the frontrunner in March Madness MVP odds, has been dominating in the tournament, but he faces a challenging matchup against UConn’s Donovan Clingan in Monday’s highly anticipated game.

Along with our Purdue vs. UConn prediction and other expert picks for the men’s national championship, here are our final game selections for the matchup based on odds from top March Madness betting sites. Pick confidence is rated on a 1-to-5-star scale.

Eleventh-hour predictions for the national championship game between Purdue and UConn

  • Purdue is a 7-point underdog with -115 odds from Caesars, rated as a four-star bet.
  • Donovan Clingan to score under 13.5 points is favored at -105 odds on bet365, with a four-star rating.
  • BetMGM is offering favorable odds of +100 for Cam Spencer to score over 14.5 points, earning a four-star rating.

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Betting odds for Purdue vs. UConn

Monday’s matchup between Purdue and UConn is generating a lot of buzz. Here are some predictions and best bets for the game.

Purdue +7 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

It’s unusual to witness such a stark disagreement between the projection models and the betting market for a high-stakes game like the national championship. However, as we approach Monday’s final, the disparity between the two is glaring.

On Monday, UConn’s point spread started at -7.5 before settling at -6.5. However, Caesars is still offering Purdue +7 right before the game starts. Projection models like KenPom, T-Rank, and Haslametrics all predict this matchup to be a close game with only one possession separating the teams.

After winning 11 straight NCAA Tournament games by double digits, UConn has certainly earned the respect of bettors. However, when comparing the teams, it’s clear that they share similar characteristics. Both teams have dominant big men surrounded by talented shooters and rely on a strong defensive presence in the paint.

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I believe the Huskies will win the game, but I can’t overlook the seven-point spread for Monday’s underdogs. If you waited, this is one of the best prices we’ve seen all weekend on the Boilermakers.

The best odds are -115 at Caesars.

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Donovan Clingan scores fewer than 13.5 points ⭐⭐⭐⭐

As I pointed out in my expert analysis for Monday’s game, Clingan has been a strong presence in this tournament but his offensive performance has been inconsistent. I have serious doubts about his ability to succeed against Edey and the rest of the team.

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The sophomore stands at 7-foot-2 and has mostly been successful close to the basket. Edey, who is even taller at 7-foot-4 and weighs 300 lbs, is a formidable presence with his size and long arms. Clingan lacks the shooting range to pull Edey away from the basket or take advantage of his positioning near the rim. Additionally, scoring is not Clingan’s main role for UConn.

The odds for this bet have shifted slightly in favor of the Under in the past few days, but it remains a favorable price compared to other sportsbooks offering as low as -120 for this prop bet.

Top odds: -105 at bet365

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Cam Spencer scored more than 14.5 points, receiving a rating of four stars.

I typically lean towards Under bets for the Monday tournament final, but this is one of my top picks for an Over play on a player who has made a significant impact in his first season with UConn.

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Spencer has been consistently scoring just below his season average of 14.4 points per game and has reached double figures in all five tournament games. He has also been successful in hitting 43.5% of his 3-point attempts. These stats are crucial for him going up against a Purdue defense that is tough on fouls and doesn’t give up easy points in the paint.

Spencer has the potential to make a significant impact in the mid-range game, showcasing his skills as one of the top shooters in college basketball. With the Boilermakers’ defensive strategy, he should have ample chances to score. It wouldn’t be surprising if Spencer ends up being the top scorer in this game, with odds of +1000 according to FanDuel.

Top odds: +100 at BetMGM

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Last-minute bets on the Purdue-UConn game were placed on Monday at 5 p.m. ET.

These are our top March Madness betting sites:

  • Use the Caesars promo code SBRBONUS1000 and check out our Caesars review.
  • BetMGM Review: Use code SBRBONUS for a Bonus | Check out our in-depth analysis of BetMGM
  • Use the bet365 bonus code SBRBONUS and check out our review of bet365.
  • Use the promo code SBRBONUS for BetRivers and check out our review of the site.
  • Check out our FanDuel Review and use our exclusive FanDuel Promo Code
  • Check out our DraftKings Review and use our exclusive DraftKings Promo Code

*Bonuses are not valid in Ontario. If you are 21 years or older and have a gambling problem, please call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Related pages

  • Top Live Betting Sites | Top Exclusive Promotions (U.S. only)