Let’s dive into Sunday’s Elite 8 betting predictions, odds, picks and more, including bets on the Tennessee-Purdue and North Carolina State-Duke games.
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Elite 8 Betting Predictions, Odds, Picks & More: March 31
Tennessee-Purdue Elite 8 Odds
Tennessee: +134 | Purdue: -162
Tennessee +3.5: -115 | Purdue -3.5: -105
Over 147.5: -110 | Under 147.5: -110
When: 2:20 p.m. ET
March Madness Odds via FanDuel
Tennessee-Purdue Picks & Elite 8 Betting Prediction
Tennessee knocked off Saint Peter’s, Texas and Creighton to pave its way to an Elite Eight. Similarly, Purdue blew out Grambling State, Utah State and Gonzaga for the right to face Tennessee. As it stands, Tennessee ranks 35th in adjusted offensive efficiency and third on defense, while Purdue is third on offense and 16th on defense.
This will be a rematch, as Purdue knocked off Tennessee 71-67 on a neutral venue back in November. In that game, Zach Edey scored 23 points while shooting 17 free throws and fouling out Tennessee big man Jonas Aidoo in just 13 minutes. Not to mention, Purdue withstood one of its worst shooting performances, hitting 27% of 3’s and 39% of shots inside the arc.
Part of the problem for teams facing Purdue is the plethora of options. Aside from Edey inside, Purdue ranks No. 1 in the country in 3-point percentage. Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, Myles Colvin, Mason Gillis and Camden Heide all shoot above 40% from 3, and Lance Jones is just north of 36%. While Tennessee plays elite defense, it needs to stop all players on the floor for Purdue while playing at a severe height disadvantage.
Tennessee isn’t the best scoring team either outside of Dalton Knecht. Knecht shoots 39% from 3, but Tennessee ranks 144th in effective field goal percentage as a team and 178h from beyond the arc. It is also 184th in fouls committed, which looms large against a Purdue team that generates the fourth-most fouls in the country. Tennessee has taken some money since its Sweet 16 game, but Purdue simply has too many advantages.
Best Elite 8 Pick & Prediction: Purdue -3.5 (-105) at FanDuel
North Carolina State-Duke Elite 8 Odds
North Carolina State: +240 | Duke: -300
North Carolina State: +6.5: -102 | Duke: -6.5: -120
Over 142.5: -115 | Under 142.5: -105
When: 5:05 p.m. ET
March Madness Odds via FanDuel
North Carolina State-Duke Picks & Elite 8 Betting Prediction
North Carolina State faces Duke in an all-ACC showdown for the final spot in the Final Four. North Carolina State continued its magical run since winning the ACC Tournament by knocking off Marquette on Friday after previously beating Texas Tech and Oakland. Meanwhile, Duke knocked off an injured Houston team in the Sweet 16.
Duke slaughtered North Carolina State 79-64 on the road but lost 74-69 in the ACC Tournament. The second contest came down to North Carolina State shooting 44% from 3, which was ahead of its season averages. Conversely, Duke shot 25% from beyond the arc — well below their season average.
As far as this matchup goes, Duke has every advantage efficiency-wise. The Blue Devils rank 10th in effective height, while North Carolina State is 105th. On paper, Kyle Filipowski should thrive against a North Carolina State interior that ranks 174th defending the paint. D.J. Burns has played much better in the tournament and cooked Duke for 27 in their first matchup. However, Duke held Burns to 10 points in the second matchup and still found a way to lose.
The Blue Devils also are eighth in effective field goal percentage, while North Carolina State is 159th. Duke ranks 11th in 3-point shooting and the Wolfpack 139th. Even more problematic, North Carolina State ranks 200th in 3-point defense. Like most games North Carolina State has played on its current run, it will be at a severe disadvantage again.
Best Elite 8 Pick & Prediction: Duke -6.5 (-120) at FanDuel
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