The Purdue Boilermakers will look to make their first national championship game appearance in 55 years when they take on the North Carolina State Wolfpack in a Final Four matchup in Glendale, Ariz. The Boilermakers (33-4), who won the Big Ten Conference regular-season title, advanced to the national semifinal with a 72-66 win over Tennessee on Sunday. The Wolfpack (26-14), who earned the ACC Tournament championship with five wins in five days, advanced to the Final Four with a 76-64 win over Duke on Sunday. NC State and Purdue will meet for the seventh time, and first time in the NCAA Tournament. The Wolfpack own a 4-2 series edge.
The game from State Farm Stadium will tip off Saturday at 6:09 p.m. ET. NC State is averaging 76.4 points per game, while Purdue averages 83.4. The Boilermakers are 9-point favorites in the latest NC State vs. Purdue odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 146.5. Before making any Purdue vs. NC State picks, you need to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Zack Cimini.
A Las Vegas handicapper who’s never afraid to buck conventional wisdom, Cimini enters the Final Four as SportsLine’s most profitable college basketball expert. He’s 85-60-2 on his last 147 college basketball picks, returning $1,850 for $100 players. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
Now, Cimini has set his sights on NC State vs. Purdue and just locked in his Final Four predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for North Carolina State vs. Purdue:
- NC State vs. Purdue spread: Purdue -9
- NC State vs. Purdue over/under: 146.5 points
- NC State vs. Purdue money line: NC State +337, Purdue -437
- NCST: The Wolfpack are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games
- PUR: The Boilermakers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games
- NC State vs. Purdue picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Purdue can cover
Senior center Zach Edey has been on a roll, registering seven double-doubles in a row and 28 on the season. In Sunday’s win over Tennessee, Edey poured in 40 points, while grabbing 16 rebounds. He had 27 points and 14 boards in an 80-68 win over Gonzaga in the Sweet 16. He had a monster game in a 78-50 first-round win over Grambling, pouring in 30 points and adding 21 rebounds, three blocks and two assists. He is averaging 25 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and two assists in 31.6 minutes of action.
Sophomore guard Braden Smith has also come up big during the NCAA Tournament. In the first-round win over Grambling, he registered a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists. He had 14 points and 15 assists with eight rebounds in the Sweet 16 against Gonzaga. He had a near double-double in the Elite Eight vs. Tennessee, scoring nine points and adding seven rebounds and seven assists. For the year, he is averaging 12.2 points, 7.5 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals. See which team to pick here.
Why NC State can cover
The Wolfpack have been on fire and have four players averaging 11 or more points per game. Leading the way is senior guard DJ Horne, who is in his first year with the team after spending the past two seasons at Arizona State. In 39 games, including 35 starts, he is averaging 16.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals in 32.4 minutes. He poured in 20 points while adding four rebounds and three assists in the 76-64 win over Duke on Sunday in the Elite Eight.
Also helping power NC State is senior forward DJ Burns Jr. He has started 39 of the Wolfpack’s 40 games and is averaging 13 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 24.8 minutes. Burns poured in 29 points while adding four rebounds, three assists and two blocks in the win over Duke. In the second-round 79-73 overtime win over Oakland, he finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. See which team to pick here.
How to make NC State vs. Purdue picks
Cimini is leaning Under on the point total, and he also has discovered a crucial x-factor that makes one side of the spread a must-back. You can only find out what it is, and see which side to back, at SportsLine.
So who wins NC State vs. Purdue, and what critical x-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Join SportsLine right now to see which picks you should be all over on Saturday, all from the expert who is on an 85-60-2 roll on his college basketball picks, and find out.
