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The Purdue Boilermakers aim to advance to the National Championship Game for the second time in program history when they battle the North Carolina State Wolfpack on Saturday in the Final Four of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Purdue (33-4), which lost to UCLA when it made its only appearance in the title game in 1969, is one victory away from a long-awaited return after defeating Tennessee 72-66 in the Elite Eight on Sunday. NC State (26-14), which is looking to book its third trip to the National Championship Game and first since 1983, posted a 76-64 victory against Duke to reach the Final Four.
Tipoff from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. is set for 6:09 p.m. ET. The Boilermakers are 9-point favorites in the latest Purdue vs. NC State odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 146.5. Before making any NC State vs. Purdue picks, you need to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Div. I college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered the Sweet 16 round of the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 152-109 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,800 for $100 players. It also has a strong 32-21 (+890) record on top-rated spread picks this season, and its bracket picks rank in the 92nd percentile among all CBS Sports Bracket Challenge entries so far in 2024. Anybody following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Purdue vs. NC State and just locked in its Final Four 2024 predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines and trends for NC State vs. Purdue:
- Purdue vs. NC State spread: Boilermakers -9
- Purdue vs. NC State over/under: 146.5 points
- Purdue vs. NC State money line: Boilermakers -437, Wolfpack +337
- PUR: The Boilermakers are 20-16-1 against the spread this season
- NCST: The Wolfpack are 11-6-2 ATS this season when not favored
- Purdue vs. NC State picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Purdue can cover
The Boilermakers have lost only two of their last 21 games, with one of the defeats coming in overtime. They have recorded a total of 48 victories in the NCAA Tournament, the most ever by a team that hasn’t won a national title. Purdue has had a relatively easy time in “The Big Dance” thus far this year, defeating its first four opponents by an average of 21.3 points.
Zach Edey has been a force for the Boilermakers during March Madness, averaging 30 points and 16.3 rebounds. The senior center has recorded 120 points and 65 boards over Purdue’s first four games, becoming the first player to reach those marks in one NCAA Tournament since Larry Bird registered 136 and 67, respectively, in 1979 with Indiana State. Edey scored a career-high 40 points and pulled down 16 rebounds against Tennessee on Sunday to become the first player with at least 40 and 15 in a Tournament game since Loyola Marymount’s Bo Kimble in 1990. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why NC State can cover
What the Wolfpack have accomplished thus far is no small feat, as they share the distinction of being the highest-seeded team to reach the Final Four since seeding began in 1979, matching fellow No. 11 seeds LSU (1986), George Mason (2006), VCU (2011), Loyola Chicago (2018) and UCLA (2021). NC State defeated two lower-seeded opponents by double digits while beating Marquette by nine points. The team also has followed a four-game skid to end its regular season with a nine-game winning streak, the program’s longest since a 10-game run in 2012-13.
One reason for the Wolfpack’s success has been the offensive play of DJ Burns Jr. The senior forward is averaging 13 points this season and reached the 20-point mark just once in his first 35 games. But Burns scored 20 points in NC State’s victory against North Carolina in the ACC Tournament championship game and recorded 24 points versus Oakland in the second round of the NCAA Tournament before setting a season-high with 29 in Sunday’s triumph over Duke. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Purdue vs. NC State picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 151 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can see the picks only at SportsLine.
So who wins Purdue vs. NC State, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the NC State vs. Purdue spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 152-109 roll on its top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.
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