Purdue vs. UConn Championship Game Bracket Prediction: March Madness Odds
The Huskies opened as 6.5-point favourites to win on the college basketball odds, with the total set at 145.5.
Purdue vs. UConn NCAA Tournament Point Spread and Betting
Purdue is still searching for the school’s first national championship, with their best NCAA Tournament result being a second place finish in 1969. UConn, on the other hand, has won all five previous national championship game appearances, including last year as they look to become the first back-to-back champions since Florida in 2006 and 2007.
The Boilermakers are 11-1 straight up in neutral site games this season and 5-1 SU in their last six games against Big East opponents. They’re 22-15-1 against the spread for the year, covering in all five tournament games. Low scoring games have been a trend, with the total going Under in four of five games for Purdue at the NCAA Tournament.
The Huskies are a perfect 12-0 SU in neutral site games and they enter Monday’s national championship tilt on a 12-game win streak overall. They’ve been a strong cover option all season, going 27-12 ATS and they’ve covered in six straight games. UConn’s strong defence has led to the total going Under in each of their last six games.
Purdue Boilermakers (1)
After a shocking first-round loss against Fairleigh Dickinson last year, Purdue has a chance to redeem themselves the same way Virginia did in 2019. The Boilermakers reached the national title game by taking out No. 16 Grambling State, No. 8 Utah State, No. 5 Gonzaga and No. 2 Tennessee ahead of the Final Four. Toronto native Zach Edey continued his NCAA Tournament dominance in the Final Four on Saturday, finishing with a game-high 20 points and 12 rebounds in Purdue’s 63-50 win over No. 11 NC State. Edey, the two-time Naismith College Player of the Year, has been on a tear for the Boilermakers, averaging 28 points and 15.4 rebounds per game in the tournament.
The matchup everyone has circled in the national championship game is Edey versus UConn’s Donavan Clingan. Edey is a walking double-double machine, but he’s likely never faced a centre with the size and athleticism of Clingan. That means Purdue’s supporting cast needs to step up. The Boilermakers are the second-best three-point shooting team in the nation (40.6 per cent), but Braden Smith, who averages 12.0 ppg (second on Purdue) has finished with single digit points in three of five tournament games. Edey is doing all he can, but he’ll need significantly more help against UConn.
Connecticut Huskies (1)
The Huskies have rolled through this tournament, beating opponents by an average of 25.0 ppg. They reached their second straight national title game with victories over No. 16 Stetson, No. 9 Northwestern, No. 5 San Diego State and No. 3 Illinois before the Final Four. Five different UConn players scored double digit points in their 86-72 Final Four victory over No. 4 Alabama. Stephon Castle finished with a game-high 21 points against the Crimson Tide, while Clingan had 18. Cam Spencer and and Alex Karaban each put up 14 points and eight rebounds.
Clingan should prove a tough task for Edey on Monday night. The 7-foot-2 Clingan is averaging 16.2 points, nine rebounds and 3.6 blocks in the Big Dance and he’s put up 40 points combined over his last two games. But, it’s the depth that sets the Huskies apart. Look for a player like Tristen Newton to step up. Newton, who is averaging a team-high 14.9 ppg this season, had a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double in the national championship game last year and he’s hit double digit points in four of five tournament games this year. It will be hard to shut down this UConn offence.
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