March Madness 2024: Can Cinderella NC State Upset Purdue in the Final Four? Odds, Picks & Preview (April 6th)

Home / March Madness / March Madness 2024: Can Cinderella NC State Upset Purdue in the Final Four? Odds, Picks & Preview (April 6th)

The Final Four is here. Many stories were told in this March Madness, and of course, the Cinderella Story is one of them. The underdog, NC State Wolfpack will face the Purdue Boilermakers. The winner of the NC State vs Purdue matchup will play for the title next Monday. Let’s see the NC State vs Purdue Prediction.

How North Carolina State Wolfpack (26-14) comes to the Final Four

• Underdog Mentality: NC State has thrived as the underdog this season, going 9-11 overall but an impressive 12-7-1 against the spread.
• Hot Streak: They enter the Final Four riding a nine-game winning streak, also including seven straight victories on the road.
• Road Warriors: NC State boasts a strong 12-9 record away from home and has won their last five road contests.
• Against the Spread: They’ve been profitable against the spread overall (20-19-1) and even more so as underdogs (8-2 in their last 10).
• Scoring Trends: The Wolfpack average 148.2 points per game, and the over/under for this matchup (146) is similar to their season average (146.7). However, their last three games have seen a dip in scoring (139 points average).

How Purdue Boilermakers (33-4) comes to the Final Four

• Dominant at Home: Purdue boasts a near-perfect record at home (24-1) and has won their last 10 home games.
• Favored Foes: They’ve been favored in 35 of their 37 games this season, for instance, compiling an 18-15-2 record against the spread.
• Recent Success: The Boilermakers are on a four-game winning streak and have covered the spread in their last three home games.
• High-Scoring History: Purdue averages 152.8 points per game, with a slightly higher average over/under (147.9) than this matchup (146). Their last three games have been high-scoring affairs, averaging 153 points.

Game Information

NORTH CAROLINA STATE WOLFPACK vs PURDUE BOILERMAKERS

Location of the Game: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

Date and Time: Saturday, April 6th 6:09 ET

Reason: 2024 March Madness Final Four

How to watch: TBS

NC State vs Purdue Prediction Odds

There are the NCAAB Odds for this matchup of today’s NCAAB Schedule:

AI Predictions and Sport Betting AI Picks

These are the NCAAB Computer Picks for this NCAAB Matchup:

TEAM	AI PICKS		Sport Betting AI PICKS
NC STATE	70	144	Spread NCST +9.5	ML PUR -451	Total UNDER 146
PURDUE	74

• • AI Picks: Purdue Boilermakers 74 – North Carolina State Wolfpack 70
  • Sport Betting AI Picks: ATS Wolfpack +9.5 | ML Boilermakers -451 | UNDER 146

North Carolina State Wolfpack Game Analysis

NC State Offense

• Balanced Scoring: NC State doesn’t rely on one dominant scorer. DJ Horne leads the team with 16.9 points per game, also followed by D.J. Burns at 12.4 points per game, according to the NCAAB player stats.
• Solid Shooting: They shot 46.7% from the field in their last win over Duke, but their three-point shooting has been inconsistent (averaging just 3 threes per game in that matchup).

Wolfpack Defense

• Average Defense: The Wolfpack allow 72.0 points per game, which is right around the national average.
• Recent Defensive Success: They stifled Duke in their last game, holding them to just 32% shooting.

Purdue Boilermakers Game Analysis

Purdue Offense

• Offensive Powerhouse: Purdue boasts a potent offense, ranking among the most efficient shooting teams in the NCAA. For example, They average 48% field goal shooting and a whopping 8.3 made threes per game.
• Inside-Out Threat: The Boilermakers can score from anywhere on the court, shooting 53% from inside the arc while also lighting it up from beyond the arc.

Boilermakers Defense

• Vulnerable Defense: While the offense shines, Purdue’s defense is a question mark. They rank 99th in the nation, allowing 69.4 points per game.
• Struggles with Threes: Opponents are averaging 7.3 made threes per game against Purdue, ranking their three-point defense 178th in the country. Opponents also shoot a respectable 41.7% overall from the field, according to the NCAAB team stats.

Injury Report

• North Carolina State will be without key players LJ Thomas (personal), MJ Rice (redshirt), and Dennis Parker Jr. (illness) for the Final Four matchup, according to the NCAAB Injury Report.

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