Purdue Boilermakers VS UConn Huskies Betting Pick & Preview – 4/8/2024

The Purdue Boilermakers will clash with the UConn Huskies in the national championship game of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on April 8, 2024, at 9:20 pm ET. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Huskies are favored by 6.5 points. The total for the game is set at 145.5. Fans can anticipate an exciting matchup between these two powerhouse teams as they battle for supremacy on the court and for this year's national title.

In tonight's Purdue vs UConn matchup for the national championship, a huge focus will be the battle in the paint. Donovan Clingan and Zach Edey are unquestionably the two best big men in college basketball today. But neither has seen an opposing big as good as they will tonight, which could have a huge impact on how effective either of them will be in this matchup on the offensive end of the floor.

Avoiding foul trouble will be huge for both Clingan and Edey in this contest. If either of them has to go to the bench longer than usual tonight, that would open the door for the other to feast on a backup big for a period of time. That would mean a lopsided big man battle, which would tilt the scales decidedly in one team's favor. However, we do not expect that to happen, as we should see an evenly-matched contest between the two bigs in this one.

Instead, the difference in this UConn vs Purdue game should be made on the perimeter, where UConn has a decided advantage. The perimeter defense of the Huskies is much better than that of the Boilermakers, which should help UConn to gain the upper hand and keep it. The only way this doesn't happen is if Purdue gets hot from three-point range, something that can never be ruled out given how well they shoot from the outside.

At the end of the day, our best bet for this game is for UConn to come away with a victory in Glendale. We expect the Huskies to cover the spread as well, making history by winning a national championship for the second year in a row. They would be the first team to accomplish that feat since the Florida Gators did it in the mid-2000s, with their team led by Al Horford, who is still playing in the NBA all these years later.

For more on today's game check out the comprehensive statistics, betting odds, and trends below. Be sure to check out all our free NCAABB picks here.