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Zach Edey of the Purdue Boilermakers looks on against the Tennessee Volunteers during the first half in the Elite 8 as we look at our Purdue-NC State prediction.
Zach Edey of the Purdue Boilermakers looks on against the Tennessee Volunteers during the first half in the Elite 8. Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images/AFP.

The Purdue Boilermakers, led by Zach Edey, are aiming to halt the NC State Wolfpack’s Cinderella run in the Final Four. Our prediction and expert pick for the NC State vs. Purdue matchup are based on the top Final Four odds.

The first game of the men’s Final Four features the No. 1 Purdue Boilermakers facing off against the No. 11 NC State Wolfpack. Purdue is favored by 9 points according to top sports betting sites, with the game set to start at 6:09 p.m. ET on TBS at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Purdue is looking to stop the Wolfpack’s impressive streak with Zach Edey at the forefront of their efforts. Edey, a dominant presence in the paint, is favored to lead Purdue to a showdown with UConn, the favorite in the March Madness odds.

Here is our expert pick and prediction for the NC State vs. Purdue matchup, along with our Alabama vs. UConn prediction and other Final Four expert picks. Our confidence level is based on a 1-to-5-star scale, with odds provided by our top March Madness betting sites.

To learn more about this game, be sure to explore our player props for the NC State vs. Purdue matchup.

Game information for the match between NC State, seeded 11th, and Purdue, seeded 1st.

  • When: Saturday, April 6
  • Game start time: 6:09 p.m. Eastern Time
  • Location: State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
  • How to watch: TBS
  • Top choice: Purdue -9 with odds of -110 at DraftKings.

Odds for the NC State vs. Purdue game

Prediction for the NC State vs. Purdue game

Zach Edey with a standout performance, recording over 40.5 points and rebounds. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

FanDuel is offering the best odds at -113.

Having won the Wooden Award last season, the 7-foot-4 Edey decided to return to Purdue for another year with the goal of redeeming last year’s disappointing loss to No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson in the NCAA Tournament. This year, everything has fallen into place for the Canadian player as he is now the front-runner for the Wooden Award and has helped Purdue advance through March Madness with great success.

Edey has been unstoppable in the first four rounds of the tournament, and it appears that NC State will not be able to halt his dominance. In this March Madness run, Edey is averaging an impressive 30.0 points and 16.2 rebounds per game. He is coming off a remarkable performance in the Elite Eight against No. 2 seed Tennessee, where he scored 40 points and grabbed 16 rebounds.

The Wolfpack’s journey through the ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament has been exciting, but history shows that no team seeded lower than No. 8 has ever reached the championship game. NC State faces the challenge of trying to contain one of the most dominant big men in college basketball history. With no player taller than 6-foot-10, the Wolfpack’s defense ranks 44th in adjusted efficiency according to KenPom.

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NC State will struggle to contain Edey’s scoring in the paint and will also have difficulty with fouls. The Wolfpack, known for their foul-prone defense, will face the NCAA leader in free throw attempts per game. NC State ranks second in the ACC for putting opponents on the free throw line with a rate of 19.5 fouls per game.

The -113 odds at FanDuel offer great value, and we would consider taking this prop even at -120. Our odds calculator shows that these odds suggest a 53.05% chance of Edey hitting the Over with a $10 bet, which could result in an $8.85 profit.

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Analysis of the spread and over/under for the NC State vs. Purdue game.

The Boilermakers started as a 9.5-point favorite against NC State following the Wolfpack’s 76-64 victory over Duke in the Elite Eight. Although there has been little change in the odds at our top sports betting apps, it would not be surprising to see Purdue as a double-digit favorite by game time. Purdue has a record of 20-15-2 against the spread, while NC State is 20-19-1.

The Over/Under for the game between Edey and D.J. Burns Jr. opened at 146 and has stayed at that level. It is possible that by the time the two teams face off, the Over/Under could increase to 147.5, as both teams have a strong track record of surpassing the Over. Purdue has a record of 23-14 in this regard, while NC State is 23-16-1.

Prediction for the NC State-Purdue game was made on Thursday at 10:15 a.m. Eastern Time.

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