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The Purdue Boilermakers (34-4) and UConn Huskies (36-3) will meet in the NCAA Tournament National Championship Game Monday in Glendale, Ariz. Tip-off is scheduled for 9:20 p.m. (TBS). Below, we break down BetMGM Sportsbook’s before NCAA basketball National Championship prop bet odds, and tab the best Purdue vs. UConn prop bets to make among SportsbookWire’s expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
Both were favorites and covered in their respective Final Four games Saturday.
Purdue, the Midwest’s No. 1 seed, beat NC State 63-50 as a 9.5-point favorite in the 1st semifinal with the Under (147) easily cashing. The Wolfpack were the big surprise in the Final Four, winning the South Region as the No. 11 seed, but the magical run finally came to an end.
UConn, the East’s top seed, defeated Alabama 86-72 and covered as a 10-point favorite with the Under (160.5) coming in. The Huskies, who are No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, held just a 4-point lead at the half and were tied at 56-all with just over 12 minutes to go against the Crimson Tide, who were the 4th seed out of the West Region.
- Championship Game: Purdue-UConn picks and predictions
The Huskies closed with a 30-16 run to finish off the Tide and move a win away from its 6th national title and from becoming the 1st repeat champion since the 2006-’07 Florida Gators. Only UCLA (11), Kentucky (8) and North Carolina (6) have more titles, while UConn is tied with Duke and Indiana at 5 championships each.
The Boilermakers, the No. 3 team in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, are searching for their 1st NCAA title. They have been to the title game once before, losing to UCLA in 1969.
Purdue is led by 2024 AP Player of the Year C Zach Edey. He’s the 1st men’s basketball player to capture the award in consecutive seasons since Virginia’s Ralph Sampson won 3 in a row 1981–’83. Ohio State’s Jerry Lucas (1961-’62), UCLA’s Bill Walton (1972-’73) and NC State’s David Thompson (1974-’75) are the only players to win the award more than once.
Purdue is 5-0 against the spread (ATS) in its 5 NCAA Tourney games with the Under going 4-1, while UConn is also 5-0 ATS with the Under at 5-0. Big East schools own a perfect 7-0 straight up (SU) and ATS record in championship games since 2001, while Big Ten teams are winless at 0-7 SU and ATS.
Now, let’s make some money on some prop bets.
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Best Purdue vs. UConn National Championship Game prop bets picks
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook’s; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 1:55 a.m. ET.
Purdue G Braden Smith OVER 5.5 rebounds (+120)
Listed at 6-foot, Smith may be one of the shortest men on the court, but he plays bigger. He has pulled down 8, 7, and 8 rebounds over his last 3 NCAA Tournament games against teams with very athletic guards like Tennessee and NC State. Smith averages 5.9 rebounds per game on the season, so he just needs to hit his average and we’re getting plus-money on this prop.
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UConn G Stephon Castle OVER 4.5 rebounds (-130)
Sure, there’s a bit of juice for this one, but it’s because it seems like a lock. Castle grabbed at least 5 rebounds in 4 of UConn’s 5 NCAA Tourney games. He got into foul trouble against Northwestern in the 2nd round which is the reason he only finished with 2 boards. The 6-foot-6 guard averages 4.7 rebounds per game this season and isn’t afraid to mix it up with big men like Edey.
Purdue G Fletcher Loyer OVER 9.5 points (-120)
Here’s another bet with a bit of juice, but you’ve got to feel good about this one Monday night. Loyer has hit double-digit points in Purdue’s last 4 games. The only reason he didn’t get there in the Boilers’ NCAA Tourney opener against Gambling is because he only played 25 minutes in a blowout, and he still knocked down 8 points. Loyer has been a huge piece to the Boilermakers’ success in this tournament.
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Purdue UNDER 69.5 team total points (-110)
Enough people don’t give UConn the credit it deserves for its defensive ability. The Huskies rank 10th in the country at points allowed per game (PPG) at just 63.5 points, per CBSSports.com. This is after holding the top scoring team in the country in Alabama (90.1 PPG) to 72 points in their Final Four matchup. If you recall, UConn shut down Illinois’ high-powered offense (83.4 PPG) to just 52 points in the Elite 8, which included a 9-minute stretch where UConn went on a 30-0 run. Plus, the Boilermakers only scored 63 vs. NC State Saturday.
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