The NC State Wolfpack are in the Final Four for the first time since their memorable 1983 National Title and will look to pull off yet another upset on Saturday when they face the Purdue Boilermakers.
NC State Wolfpack vs. Purdue Boilermakers (-9, 146.5)
While Purdue has been one of the most efficient teams on offense in college basketball, ranking second in the nation in both points scored per possession and 3-point shooting percentage, it has recently slowed down.
The Boilermakers average nearly 4.2 possessions per game fewer per game the past 13 games than in the first 24 games of the season, dropping to 118th in the nation in possessions per game as a result.
Purdue ranks 62nd in points allowed on a per-possession basis and 39th in opponents’ 3-point shooting percentage at 31.4%, facing an NC State offense that has shot better from 3-point range on the road than at home.
NC State ranks 38th in 3-point shooting on the road (36.4%), but rank just 78th in the nation in points scored per possession.
While NC State has received much fanfare thanks to big man DJ Burns, hitting the offensive glass to get second chances has not been the strength of either his or the team’s.
In road games, NC State is grabbing an offensive rebound on 25.3% of its missed shots, which ranks 208th in the nation while Purdue is allowing teams to rebound just 22.5% of their missed shots, which is the 25th-best defensive rebound rate in the nation.
With NC State having played much better on defense in this nine-game winning streak than it has in months, allowing 5.9 points per 100 possessions fewer on defense than prior to this run, these two teams will be in a lower-scoring Final Four game than many expect.
The Play: NC State vs. Purdue Under 146.5
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