Everything will be on the line for the UConn Huskies and Purdue Boilermakers when they meet for the 2024 NCAA Tournament national championship game on Monday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The Huskies (36-3) have dominated opponents of late, by rattling off 12 wins in a row, including 11 of those by double digits. The closest they came to losing was in a 95-90 win over St. John's on March 15 in the Big East Conference Tournament. The Boilermakers (34-4) have also been impressive on their tournament run. They have won 11 of 12 with the only loss coming to Wisconsin 76-75 in overtime in the Big Ten Conference Tournament semifinals. UConn has won five national championships, while Purdue is seeking its first, and the battle between big men Zach Edey of Purdue and Donovan Clingan could go a long way in determining the winner.
Tipoff is set for 9:20 p.m. ET. Purdue is averaging 79.8 points per game during the tournament, while UConn is averaging 82.2. The Huskies are 6.5-point favorites in the latest Purdue vs. UConn odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 143.5. Before making any UConn vs. Purdue picks, you need to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Div. I college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered the Final Four of the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 152-109 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,800 for $100 players. It also has a strong 32-21 (+890) record on top-rated spread picks this season, and its bracket picks rank in the 92nd percentile among all CBS Sports Bracket Challenge entries so far in 2024. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on UConn vs. Purdue and just locked in its national championship game predictions. You canvisit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are several college basketball betting linesand trends for Purdue vs. UConn:
- Purdue vs. UConn spread: UConn -6.5
- Purdue vs. UConn over/under: 143.5 points
- Purdue vs. UConn money line: UConn -294, Purdue +238
- PUR: The Boilermakers are 5-0 ATS in their last five games
- UCONN: The Huskies are 6-0 ATS in their last six games
- Purdue vs. UConn picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why UConn can cover
Senior guard Tristen Newton, the recipient of this year's Bob Cousy Award for best point guard in the country, is the third Huskies player to ever win the award, joining Kemba Walker (2011) and Shabazz Napier (2014). Newton helped lead the Huskies past Alabama on Saturday, scoring 12 points, while adding nine assists and three rebounds. He posted a double-double with 20 points and 10 assists in a 75-58 win over Northwestern in the second round. For the season, he has started all 39 games for UConn and is averaging 14.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 6.2 assists.
Senior guard Cam Spencer has also been a difference-maker. In 39 games, all starts, he has registered a 3.7 assist-to-turnover ratio, and is connecting on 91.1% of his free throws. He is also deadly from the floor, connecting on 48.6% of his field goals, including a blistering 44.3% from 3-point range. He is averaging 14.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals in 32.7 minutes.See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why Purdue can cover
Senior guard Lance Jones is one of the Boilermakers' top outside threats. He has at least 60 3-pointers made in each of his last three seasons, including this year, his first at Purdue after four seasons at Southern Illinois. Jones is connecting on 41.1% of his field goals, including 35.9% from 3-point range, and is a 73.9% free-throw shooter. He scored 14 points in the win over North Carolina State on Saturday. In 38 starts with the Boilermakers, he is averaging 11.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and two assists. He has 50 steals on the year.
Another outside threat is sophom*ore guard Fletcher Loyer, who is 48 of 99 (48.5%) from long range in the last 28 games. For the season, Loyer is hitting 42.3% of his field goals, including 44.7% from 3-point range, and 86.1% of his free throws. Loyer hit 16 of 27 (59.3%) 3-pointers in March, and the Boilermakers are 30-5 over the past two years when he makes two or more threes. For the season, Loyer is averaging 10.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and two assists.See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Purdue vs. UConn picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 151 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in nearly 60% of simulations. You can only see the picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Purdue vs. UConn, and which side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 152-109 roll on its top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.
