North Carolina State vs. Purdue: Final Four Preview & Pick

The road to the Final Four is complete as we await the weekend’s national semifinals to determine who will compete for a national championship on Monday night.

Let’s take a look at Saturday night’s Final Four matchup between North Carolina State and Purdue, including tip times, television coverage, betting odds, and a brief preview of what to watch for, along with a best bet:

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How to Watch No. 11 NC State vs. No. 1 Purdue

• TV: TBS/TNT/truTV | Streaming: March Madness Live App
• Time: 6:09 p.m. ET  |  Location: State Farm Stadium – Glendale, AZ

No. 11 NC State vs. No. 1 Purdue FanDuel Odds

• Spread: NC State +9.5 (-114) | Purdue -9.5 (-106)
• Moneyline: NC State (+340) | Purdue (-450)
• Total: OVER 146.5 (-110) | UNDER 146.5 (-110)

It’s a battle of the bigs on Saturday night as North Carolina State’s DJ Burns and Purdue’s Zach Edey will go toe to toe for a spot in the national championship. Burns has been on an absolute tear throughout the postseason for the Wolf Pack. Through 31 regular season games this year, the big man took home just a pair of KenPom Game MVPs. In just nine postseason games since the start of the ACC Tournament, he’s already got three under his belt. He has found a new gear in the postseason, and it’s helped turn him into a nationwide star.

The marquee matchup that nobody is talking about will be between DJ Horne and Braden Smith. The lead guards are the primary beneficiaries of the attention that Burns and Edey require. They often find themselves left with an open lane or attempt at three after a pick-and-roll sequence where a second defender is left gravitating toward the big. It feels like whichever team can exploit that most effectively could see the most success on the offensive end.

We can’t get past what we’ve seen from North Carolina State throughout the entire season. It’s difficult to point to a matchup in this game and say that the Wolf Pack has a clear advantage. While Burns has been incredible all tournament long, his massive height disadvantage, standing seven inches shorter than Edey and continuing to exceed his typical allotted minutes in the tournament, may lead to some serious fatigue and defensive breakdowns in the paint. We could see a replication of Edey’s monstrous 41-point, 16-rebound performance against Tennessee in the Elite Eight here. In that case, backing the Boilermakers at this hefty spread is worth it.

The Pick: Purdue -9.5

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