Our men's national championship expert picks, featuring the Purdue Boilermakers and UConn Huskies, are based on the best odds from our top March Madness betting sites with the NCAA Tournament's final game tipping off Monday night.
Two top seeds will take the court Monday for the March Madness Championship game, as the Purdue Boilermakers (34-4) hope to upset the UConn Huskies (36-3) at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The Huskies, according to our best sports betting sites, are the 6.5-point favorite, with the game set to start at 9:20 p.m. ET (TBS).
This game pits the best player in the country in Zach Edey against the top player on the best team in the country in Donovan Clingan, the March Madness MVP odds favorite. While Purdue hopes to win its first national championship since 1932, and its first NCAA Tournament, UConn is hoping to be the first back-to- back champs since the Florida Gators in 2006-07.
With excitement mounting for this national championship matchup, our experts are analyzing the big game and utilizing the best March Madness odds from our best sports betting apps to make their picks.
Don't miss our Purdue vs. UConn prediction and our Purdue vs. UConn player props.
NCAA championship game expert picks
Picks made by C Jackson Cowart and Rob Paul; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale.
| Matchup | Paul | Cowart |
|---|---|---|
| Purdue vs. UConn moneyline pick | UConn ML (-275 via BetMGM) ???? | UConn ML (-275 via BetMGM) ??? |
| Purdue vs. UConn spread picks | UConn -6.5 (-110 via BetMGM) ??? | Purdue +6.5 (-105 via BetMGM) ??? |
| Purdue vs. UConn Over/Under pick | Over 145.5 (-110 via DraftKings) ??? | Under 146 (-112 via DraftKings) ??? |
| Purdue prop pick | Zach Edey Under 37.5 points + rebounds (-111 via FanDuel) ???? | Braden Smith Over 6.5 assists (+108 via FanDuel) ???? |
| UConn prop pick | Tristen Newton Over 5.5 assists (-115 via bet365) ???? | Donovan Clingan Under 13.5 points (+100 via bet365) ???? |
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2024 Men's championship game predictions
For the first time in its last 11 NCAA Tournament games, UConn was challenged. The Alabama Crimson Tide pushed the Huskies defense with its 3-point heavy approach in the Final Four and had Dan Hurley screaming on the sidelines … and still, UConn won by 14 points. The Huskies are a juggernaut who seem capable of beating any team by double digits with an offense that's first in adjusted efficiency, per KenPom, and a fourth-ranked defense.
While Edey is going to be the first back-to-back Wooden Award winner since Ralph Sampson in 1982-83, like Sampson, his 7-foot-4 frame won't be enough to win him a men's national championship. The Huskies have the perfect player to throw at Edey in Clingan and have too many offensive threats capable of stepping up against this Boilermakers' defense.
From All-American Tristen Newton to Rutgers tr ansfer Cam Spencer to freshman phenom Stephon Castle, UConn has a plethora of talent. As long as “Cling Kong” can slow Edey, UConn should be the first team to win two straight NCAA Tournaments since the Florida Gators in 2006-07.