Purdue vs. UConn Prediction: Men’s National Championship Expert Pick & Odds
The Purdue Boilermakers and UConn Huskies are gearing up for an exciting showdown in the men’s national championship game on Monday. Our prediction and expert pick for the Purdue vs. UConn matchup are based on the latest March Madness odds.
The NCAA Tournament is coming to a close after an exciting college basketball season. The championship game will feature a showdown between the top-seeded UConn Huskies (36-3) and the underdog Purdue Boilermakers (34-4) at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., with tipoff scheduled for 9:20 p.m. ET on TBS.
According to our top sports betting sites, the Huskies are favored by 6.5 points to defeat the Boilermakers in the title game, marking the largest spread for a championship game between No. 1 seeds in 25 years. Purdue’s Zach Edey and UConn’s Donovan Clingan, the top contenders in the March Madness MVP odds, will face off in a showdown in the paint.
If Connecticut wins on Monday, they will be the first team to achieve back-to-back national titles since the Florida Gators did so in 2006-07 under Billy Donovan. On the other hand, Purdue is hoping to be the third team to win their first championship in the last five tournaments.
In addition to our expert picks for the men’s national championship, we offer our top prediction and expert pick for the Purdue vs. UConn game. Be sure to check out our player props for the game, including those for Zach Edey, with odds from our trusted March Madness betting sites. Confidence in our picks is rated on a 1-to-5-star scale.
Purdue (1) vs. UConn (1) game info
- When: Monday, April 8
- Tip-off: 9:20 p.m. ET
- Where: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
- How to watch: TBS
- Favorite: UConn -6.5 (-114 via FanDuel)
Purdue vs. UConn odds
Purdue vs. UConn prediction
Zach Edey Under 37.5 points + rebounds ⭐⭐⭐⭐
FanDuel offers the best odds at -111.
Edey is on track to become only the second player in history to win the Wooden Award twice. Standing at 7-foot-4, he has established himself as one of the most formidable opponents in college basketball, similar to Ralph Sampson who also won the award twice. Edey’s size creates difficult matchups for his opponents, making him a force to be reckoned with on the court.
Nevertheless, UConn’s defense is possibly the most well-equipped in college basketball for this specific matchup. Despite not being as massive as Edey, Clingan stands at 7-foot-2, 280 pounds and has established himself as one of the top paint defenders in the nation.
“Thanks to Cling Kong, UConn now holds the fourth spot in adjusted defensive efficiency according to KenPom. Clingan, who is ranked as the top defender in the sport by DBPR as reported by EvanMiya, has emerged as a dominant force in the Big East and NCAA Tournaments after overcoming injuries earlier in his sophomore season. The potential NBA lottery pick has proven himself as a standout player on the court.”
During the span of eight games, Clingan has been averaging 3.25 blocks and 9.1 rebounds. This means he can challenge Edey as a rim protector and potentially steal some of the rebounds the Purdue big man typically grabs due to his size. Despite Edey’s dominance in March Madness, he had a slower game in the Final Four against NC State.
He totaled 32 points and rebounds but only got two free-throw attempts against the Wolfpack. The large stature of NC State’s D.J. Burns and Mohamed Diarra caused Edey more difficulties than usual, and the same could happen with Clingan.
Currently, this proposition is exclusively available on two top sports betting apps. FanDuel offers the best value, with a $10 bet resulting in a $9.01 profit if the Under option is successful. Meanwhile, DraftKings has Edey’s line set at 36.5, with the Under at -125, indicating a 55.56% chance of it hitting, based on our odds calculator.
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Purdue vs. UConn spread & Over/Under analysis
Following their victory over Alabama in the Final Four, UConn was initially favored by 6.5 points at our top live betting sites. Despite limited changes in the line so far, it is possible that the spread could adjust by half a point before the game begins. UConn has an impressive record against the spread this season at 27-12, while Purdue stands at 21-15-2.
The initial Over/Under line for the game was set at 146 to 146.5 and has seen minimal change. Both teams have strong defensive presences in their big men, which could potentially lower the total to 144.5. Purdue has a solid record of 23-15 when betting the Over, while UConn has a record of 22-16-1 when betting the Under.
Prediction for the Purdue vs. UConn game was made on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. ET.
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- Best Live Betting Sites | Best Underscoreg Promos (U.S. only)
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