The NC State Wolfpack are vying for their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament championship game in 41 years when they face the Purdue Boilermakers in a 2024 NCAA Tournament Final Four matchup on Saturday in Glendale, Ariz. The Wolfpack (26-14), who are on an improbable run which has seen them win nine in a row, including the ACC Tournament championship, reached the Final Four with a 76-64 win over Duke in the Elite Eight. The Boilermakers (33-4), the regular-season Big Ten champion, reached the Final Four with a 72-66 win over Tennessee in Sunday’s Elite Eight matchup.
The game is set to start at 6:09 p.m. ET from State Farm Stadium. Purdue has been deadly from 3-point range, connecting on 40.6% from their long-range shots, second-best in the country, while NC State is hitting on 34.7% of its 3-pointers, 141st-best. 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 Purdue vs. NC State:
NC State vs. Purdue spread: Purdue -9 NC State vs. Purdue over/under: 146.5 points NC State vs. Purdue money line: NC State +338, Purdue -437NCST: The Wolfpack are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games PUR: The Boilermakers are 4-1 ATS in their last five gamesNC State vs. Purdue picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Purdue can cover
Senior guard Lance Jones is one of four Boilermakers averaging 10 or more points, helping provide a solid supporting cast for star senior Zach Edey. Jones, a fifth-year player, is in his first season with Purdue after spending four years at Southern Illinois. In 37 games, all starts, Jones is averaging 11.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, two assists and 1.3 steals in 28.5 minutes. He scored 12 points and added three assists in an 80-68 win over Gonzaga in the Sweet 16.
Sophomore guard Fletcher Loyer has been red hot during the NCAA Tournament. In Sunday’s Elite Eight win over Tennessee, Loyer scored 14 points, while adding four assists, three rebounds and two steals in 34 minutes. He had 10 points and two assists in the Sweet 16 victory over Gonzaga, and poured in 15 points and dished out six assists in the second-round win over Utah State. In 37 games, all starts, he is averaging 10.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and two assists in 27.6 minutes. See which team to pick here.
Why NC State can cover
Junior forward Mohamed Diarra has been a big reason why the Wolfpack have been on fire over the last month. He has seven double-doubles on the year, but five have come since the ACC Tournament. In the Wolfpack’s 67-58 win over Marquette in the Sweet 16 on March 29, he scored 11 points and pulled down 15 boards. He had 17 points and 12 rebounds in an 80-67 win over Texas Tech in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. For the year, he has started 21 of the 39 games he has played in, and is averaging 6.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and one block in 21.9 minutes.
Senior guard D.J. Horne is supplying a lot of offense for NC State. In 39 games, including 35 starts, he is averaging 16.8 points in 32.4 minutes. Horne is connecting on 43.8% of his field goals, including a blistering 40.9% from 3-point range, and 81.1% from the free-throw line. He is coming off a 20-point, four-rebound and three-assist effort against Duke in the Elite Eight. 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.
