The Bulldogs and Boilermakers will play in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament on Friday, March 29, at Little Caesars Arena. These two teams steamrolled their opponents in the previous two rounds of March Madness, triumphing in their games by 20+ points.
Sports gambling apps see the Boilermakers as a 5.5-point favorite. It's important to note that Purdue already has a win over the Bulldogs this season after outscoring them 73-63 during the Maui Invitational. Although their last matchup was four months ago, the Bulldogs are still the top contender for the National Championship. It's time to preview these two teams and inspect the odds for this thrilling NCAA Tournament battle, available for betting with a BetMGM sports promo code.
The Boilermakers Are Dangerous From Beyond the Arc
As the number one seed, it would have been a big surprise if the Boilermakers did not compete for a place in the Elite Eight. Purdue outscored Grambling State in round one with 78-50 and defeated Utah State Aggies in round two with 106-67. The Boilermakers were very efficient against the Aggies last week, shooting 55.9% from the field and 47.8% from beyond the arc. They dominated under the boards with 51 rebounds, double what Utah State had.
Purdue is very dangerous from the three-point line, leading the country in 3-point percentage with a 40.9% average for the season, and as the game against Utah showed, if they have more freedom to move from beyond the arc, they will improve their average.
Big man Zach Edey produced 23 points and 14 rebounds. His average stats for the NCAA Tournament are 24.4 points, shooting 67.9% from the field and snatching 17.5 boards. Some of his teammates are consistent, with Trey Kaufman-Renn averaging 14.5 points per game and 7.5 rebounds, while Fletcher Loyer produces 11.5 points on average per game. Offensively, the Boilermakers averaged 83.9 points during the regular season and conceded 69.5 points per night.
The Bulldogs Struggle Against Big Man
Gonzaga made a big splash by eliminating the Kansas Jayhawks, beating them 89-68 in the second round of March Madness. One big reason for the triumph over Kansas was the Bulldogs’ accuracy, shooting 60.3% from the field and 53.3% from the three-point line.
The most productive players are Anton Watson, who has 17 points and 9.5 boards, Graham Ike, who contributes 15.5 points and 9.5 rebounds, and Ben Gregg, who averages 13.5 points and seven rebounds per night.
Gonzaga is a well-rounded team, especially on offense. It scores 85 points on average, and its starters regularly generate double-digit point averages. However, the defense has issues when facing bigger frontcourt players, and the Boilermakers have one of the best in Zach Edey, whom Gonzaga could not contain in November. Overall, this team allows 68.8 points per contest.
Betting Prediction
Gonzaga experienced some instability while playing outside its conference, losing five games compared to only two defeats within the conference. The Boilermakers only lost one game outside the Big Ten and defeated most of the teams currently playing in the Sweet 16 during the regular season.
The best bookie apps allocate -250 odds for a Purdue moneyline bet and +195 betting line on the same wager for Gonzaga. The 5.5-point spread is worth -110 odds for the underdog and favorite to cover. The total is 154.5 points with -105 odds for the Over and -115 for the Under bet.
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