Purdue vs. UConn Betting Pick: Do Zach Edey, Boilermakers Have the Edge in the National Championship?
Purdue vs. UConn Betting Pick: Do Zach Edey, Boilermakers Have the Edge in the National Championship?
UConn enters this national championship as 6 1/2 point favorites over the boilermakers and rightfully so as they have been dominating teams in this year‘s NCAA tournament. Illinois appeared to put up a fight in the first half, but a 30-0 run by UConn was the difference in that game, as Illinois simply had no answer on either side of the floor. The Huskies blew that game wide open and never looked back.
PURDUE VS. UCONN DATE, TIME, AND WHERE TO WATCH
- Date: April 8, 2024
- Start Time: 9:20 p.m. ET
- Where to Watch: TBS
PURDUE VS. UCONN PREDICTION
UConn has not been involved in a single digit NCAA tournament game over the last two seasons as they have blown out pretty much every team they have faced. They will have their toughest test of the season against Purdue who is the second ranked team on KenPom right behind UConn, so we are getting a heavyweight national championship matchup, which should come down to the wire.
One of the reasons why the Huskies have been so dominant in the postseason is because of their 7’2 center, Donovan Clingan, who will likely be a lottery pick in this year‘s NBA Draft. Clingan is an elite rim protector, an elite finisher at the rim and has been playing at an elite level in this year‘s tournament. No team has had an answer for him on either side of the floor, but the reason this match up with Purdue is so intriguing is because they have likely the only player in the country who matches up with well with Clingan in Zach Edey.
Edey is the two time National Player of the Year as he had an incredible season averaging over 24 points per game and just under 12 rebounds per game while shooting an elite percentage from the floor. This Edey versus Clingan matchup is one of the most anticipated one on one matchup of the season as these two players have been two of the most dominating and imposing players in college basketball.
Purdue has had their struggles in the tournament over the last few seasons as they have lost double digits seeds multiple times, but they have taken care of business to this point and have likely had a tougher road than UConn ended up having to get to this point. Purdue has been getting it done on both ends of the floor during this National Championship run as they are currently ranked third in adjusted offensive efficiency and 12th in overall defensive efficiency.
Purdue does an excellent job of defending without fowling as they have the fourth lowest foul rate in the country this season. This has been a big narrative surrounding Purdue as Zach Edey typically gets a lot of foul calls on the offensive end leading to Purdue having a large foul discrepancy in most of their games this season including in the NCAA tournament.
On the other side, UConn is the No. 1 ranked team in the nation as they are currently ranked first in adjusted offensive efficiency and fourth in overall adjusted defensive efficiency. UConn does an excellent job at scoring and defending the painted area as they are ranked fourth in offensive two point percentage and second in defensive two point percentage. If there is any weakness with this UConn team, it is that they do not shoot the three particularly well as they are ranked 61st in the nation coming into this game in three-point shooting as a team.
UConn’s dominance in the paint has largely been due to their size advantage of a majority of their opponents, because of the imposing force that Donovan Clingan has been. I think Clingan and Edey are going to neutralize each other inside and this game will largely come down to which teams guards can make more outside shots. Overall, these are two excellent defensive teams who do not play particularly fast on the offensive end either. With that being said, I am rolling with the full game Under 144.5 at -104 for 2U as my most confident college basketball play of the day as I think we are going to see a lower scoring game from these two heavyweights.
PURDUE VS. UCONN Betting Pick
2U Under 144.5 -104 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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Article Author
Joey has spent the last 6+ years betting on sports with a focus on basketball and baseball. Basketball is his main focus, and not many people know more about mid-major basketball than him. Whether you need advice on a Saturday night primetime game or a Tuesday night back-alley SWAC/MEAC game, Joey is your man.