NC State vs. Purdue: Bettors high on Wolfpack to beat Boilermakers, win NCAA Tournament

NC State’s magical postseason run faces its toughest test yet. No. 1 seed Purdue stands in the way of the 11-seed Wolfpack playing in the national championship game. Saturday’s showdown is set for 6:09 p.m. ET, airing on TBS.

As one might expect, Purdue is heavily favored. Bettors, however, are still taking NC State. In fact, many like the Wolfpack to win it all.

At FanDuel Sportsbook, NC State is currently a 9.5-point underdog against Purdue, priced at -115 against the spread. If the Wolfpack can avoid losing by 10 or more points, a bet of $115 would win $100. NC State is priced at +350 on the moneyline. If the Wolfpack win outright, a moneyline bet of $100 would win $350.

“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 SDS ahead of Saturday’s 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.

“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 NC State +9.5 currently priced at -120, meaning a $120 bet would be needed to win $100. The Wolfpack are +350 on the moneyline, meaning a $100 straight-up bet would win $350.

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

NC State vs. Purdue: Bettors high on Wolfpack to beat Boilermakers, win NCAA Tournament

How many points to expect Saturday night?

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