Purdue vs. NC State: Sportsbooks hoping Boilermakers can knock off Wolfpack
Purdue will have to get past the NCAA Tournament’s Cinderella to reach the national championship game. No. 11 seed NC State is up next for the 1-seed Boilermakers on Saturday in Arizona (6:09 p.m. ET, TBS).
As one might expect, Purdue is heavily favored. Bettors, however, are still taking NC State.
At FanDuel Sportsbook, the spread for Saturday’s game is 9.5 points. Bettors are not only taking the Wolfpack with the points, but also to win straight-up on the moneyline. In fact, many like the Wolfpack to win it all.
“We’ve seen an overwhelming amount of action on the Wolfpack: we’ve taken 94% of bets on the NC State moneyline and 77% of spread bets on the Wolfpack,” a FanDuel trader shared with Saturday Tradition ahead of the game. “NC State is also by far our largest liability to win the national championship as customers have enjoyed being along for the Cinderella run.”
BetMGM has seen similar action, leading the book to take a strong rooting interest in Matt Painter’s squad.
“Bettors love NC State. The Wolfpack are attracting heavy action on the money line and spread; additionally, NC State is our biggest liability to win the NCAA Tournament. BetMGM will be screaming ‘Boiler up!’ on Saturday, as Purdue winning is the best outcome for us,” BetMGM trading manager Seamus Magee said.
BetMGM has Purdue -9.5 priced at +100, meaning a Boilermakers cover would win $100 on a $100 bet for a $200 payout. Against the spread, Purdue is getting 33% of bets for 34% of the handle (money bet).
- Purdue -9.5 (+100 at BetMGM): 33% bets, 34% handle
- NC State +9.5 (-120 at BetMGM): 67% bets, 66% handle
To take Purdue to win without the points, the Boilermakers are -450 on the moneyline. Without laying points, it will take a $450 bet to win $100 on a Purdue victory.
The moneyline splits are even more lopsided going NC State’s way.
- Purdue to win (-450 at BetMGM): 7% bets, 9% handle
- NC State to win (+350 at BetMGM): 93% bets, 91% handle
The battle of the big men between NC State’s DJ Burns Jr. and Purdue’s Zach Edey is a leading storyline for Saturday’s Final Four battle. It’s no surprise that Burns and Edey lead the way on BetMGM’s 5 most bet player props:
Data via straight bets only
- DJ Burns Jr. over 14.5 points (+100)
- Zach Edey over 13.5 rebounds (-160)
- Zach Edey over 26.5 points (-120)
- DJ Horne over 16.5 points (-105)
- Braden Smith over 6.5 assists (-150)
How many points to expect Saturday night?
It’s established that bettors are high on NC State, but what kind of game are they expecting?
At BetMGM, the over/under opened at 146.5 and the point total has not moved. Bettors are favoring the over. BetMGM shares that 60% of bets are on over 146.5 points for 58% of the handle (money bet). Under 146.5 points has 40% of the bet for 42% of the handle. Both are priced at -110.
- Over 146.5 total points (-110): 60% bets, 58% handle
- Under 146.5 total points (-110): 40% bets, 42% handle
