Purdue vs. UConn Props: Best Bets for 2024 NCAAB National Championship

The College Basketball National Championship is finally here, and we have a great matchup. Last year’s champion and No. 1 overall seed, UConn Huskies, will take on the Purdue Boilermakers. Here, we will take a look at the best Purdue vs. UConn props.

One year removed from losing to a No. 16 seed in the first round, Purude is in its first national championship game since 1969. A win tonight will give the program its first-ever championship, while UConn is looking to become the first team since the 2006-07 Florida Gators to go back-to-back.

It was clear entering March Madness that these were two of the best teams in the country. This should make for a classic end to another great NCAAB season.

Let’s take a look at our three favorite National Championship prop bets.

Read More: March Madness Odds | Best College Basketball Betting Sites | Purdue vs. UConn Odds & Predictions 

Purdue vs. UConn Props: Three National Championship Best Bets

Zach Edey Over Assists

Usually, the last thing you look at when betting on a player prop for a 7′4″ center is his assists numbers. Over the last two years, which probably will be capped with back-to-back National Player of the Year honors, Zach Edey has dominated near the rim. 

Most of the time, his teammates are looking to rack up the assists by passing to him down low. It will be a different story tonight against UConn and Donovan Clingan. The Huskies guard the paint better than most teams, and they know that Edey will get plenty of touches. 

Expect a lot of double teams to try to take the load off Clingan. This should open Edey to pass out to Fletcher Loyer, Braden Smith, Lance Jones, or any other open teammates. Part of the reason Purude drastically improved over last year is they have more shooters surrounding the big man. 

Edey has exceeded this assist number in three of five tournament games and averaged a career-high 2.1 assists per game this season. Although you will be laying -150 at most sports betting apps, this still feels like a great number to snag before tip-off. 

Purdue Under 69.5 Points (-112) via FanDuel

The Boilermakers have failed to score at least 70 points once during March Madness. That came against NC State in the Final Four, a game where Purdue shot 40% from three and hit 90% of its free throws. 

Purdue can score in bunches in games against faster-paced teams. However, the national championship will feature two teams that rank in the bottom half of the country in tempo, with UConn ranking 328th out of 362. 

Both teams also play great defense, so we can expect plenty of empty possessions on both sides. The Huskies have a slight edge in this game because they are very good at defending near the rim and only allow teams to shoot 31.4% from beyond the arc. 

Purdue also has trouble turning the ball over, which could be a fatal flaw down the stretch. While UConn does not generate many turnovers, its defense plays at a high enough level to force the Boilermakers to make bad decisions. 

Betting the under on Purdue’s team total does not indicate that we think this will be another easy March victory for Dan Hurley’s squad. In fact, taking the points with Purdue () feels like the wise play in this matchup. 

But this will be a low-scoring fight, which should keep the Boilermakers under this number. 

Purdue First Half Moneyline

Despite its dominance in March, UConn has not played as well in the first half compared to final results. They led by single digits entering halftime in each of its last three games and needed a late push to make it a four-point lead over Alabama in the Final Four. 

Although the Boilermakers have had similar trouble, they are the team that can make UConn pay for a sluggish start. Edey should get plenty of touches at the beginning as they aim to attack Clingan and get him in early foul trouble or even rough him up. 

Since returning from injury in January, Clingan has only played 30+ minutes four times in 22 games. While the Huskies have plenty of depth for when Clingan is on the bench, there is a noticeable dropoff in defense down low when he is off the court.

Still, UConn will throw everything they’ve got at Edey to avoid getting Clingan in trouble. Even if he can shut down Edey, Purdue is shooting very well from deep in the tournament, and they can go on a UConn-like run at any point.

At this number, this is well worth a chance. It feels like no one has a prayer of stopping UConn, but Purdue matches up very well and can easily enter the locker room with a halftime lead. 

NCAAB Betting Tools: Implied Probability Calculator | Moneyline Calculator | Odds Calculator

Purdue vs. UConn Odds: Spread, Moneyline, Total

Before placing your Purude vs. UConn props, check out the national championship odds from our top-ranked sports betting apps. This will show you how the oddsmakers believe this game will go down, which can help you make your prop bets. 

This will also open you up to the best college basketball betting promos, which should give you a nice chunk of bonuses for betting on the national championship. 

How to Watch Purdue vs. UConn

• Date: Monday, April 8, 2024
• Tip-Off: 9:20 p.m. ET
• Location: State Farm Stadium – Glendale, AZ
• Where to Watch: TBS