NC State vs. Purdue Final Four Best Bet and Prediction for Saturday, April 6
By Cem Yolbulan
NC State is still alive and the Cinderella story for the ages will continue with another chapter. The Wolfpack, led by March Madness hero and instant fan favorite DJ Burns, are headed to Arizona for the Final Four. Next up, Purdue Boilermakers and the best player in the country Zach Edey.
Purdue has been the team to beat all season, going 17-3 in Big Ten play, going undefeated at home for the entire year, and currently boasting a 33-4 record. They have covered against the spread the entire NCAA Tournament and they have Edey, who is guaranteed to win his second consecutive national college player of the year award.
This will certainly be the toughest challenge so far for the Wolfpack.
NC State vs. Purdue Odds, Spread and Total
NC State vs. Purdue Best Bet and Prediction
The tough challenge for NC State is demonstrated by the odds as well. On FanDuel Sportsbook, Purdue is a 9.5-point favorite against the Wolfpack.
It's needless to say but what NC State does with Edey will be the determining factor in the matchup. The 7'4 center has been unstoppable all year and has taken his play to the next level during the NCAA Tournament. He is averaging 30 points and 16.3 rebounds per game so far in March Madness.
In the Elite 8 matchup against Tennessee, Edey lived on the free-throw line, putting opposing big men in foul trouble.
NC State needs to stay out of foul trouble. Mohamed Diarra, who will likely have the primary matchup against Edey, as well as Ben Middlebrooks off the bench, have to be disciplined to make catches and finishes difficult for Edey without fouling.
On the other end, Edey makes finishes around the rim difficult for attacking players. Therefore, the Wolfpack not only has to do a better job in generating good three-point shots but also in making them. How well the steady diet of DJ Burns post-ups that worked against Duke will do against Edey and Purdue is a question mark.
However, this team showed plenty of fight over the last month. They are experienced, motivated, and rarely make mistakes. Even though they have a mountain to climb against Purdue, NC State should still make this a close one.
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