Tonight’s Elite 8 slate is headlined by a heavyweight showdown between No. 1 vs. No. 2 Purdue. Arizona enters this game on a 12-game winning streak, while Purdue has won seven in a row. This is the 14th meeting between the Boilermakers and the Wildcats, with Purdue holding an 8-5 series lead. Purdue beat No. 11 Texas 79-77 in the Sweet 16, while Arizona defeated No. 4 Arkansas by 21 points. Purdue is attempting to reach their second Final Four in the last three seasons, while Arizona looks to punch its ticket to the Final Four for the first time since 2001.
Currently, Arizona is -6.5 on DraftKings Sportsbook with Purdue being a +220 underdog to win this contest. Check out my best bet for today’s Arizona-Purdue contest in the Elite 8 below.
Purdue vs. Arizona (8:49 p.m. ET)
Arizona is coming off one of its best complete team performances of the season. They had six players with at least 14 points, which is an NCAA Tournament record. The Wildcats shot it 64 percent from the field and 63 percent on three-pointers against the Razorbacks. Arizona’s top three scorers in the Sweet 16 were its starting freshman trio: Brayden Burries (23 points), Koa Peat (21 points), and Ivan Kharchenkov (15 points). A key for Arizona in that contest was drawing fouls and getting to the line, as they made 30 foul shots.
Purdue enters this matchup with an elite head coach in Matt Painter and a veteran trio of Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn, and Fletcher Loyer. Smith is their leader and is one of the best point guards in college basketball, averaging 8.9 assists per game (second in the country). Kaufman-Renn averages 14.3 points on the season but has scored at least 19 points in four consecutive games.
Arizona matches up well with this Purdue team. The Wildcats are more athletic than the Boilermakers and have higher-end talent. Although Smith is an elite point guard, Jaden Bradley is as well and can go toe to toe with him. Peat will be tasked with defending and slowing Kaufman-Renn, and he has all the tools to do so. Although the top of Arizona’s rotation is elite, their role players could be the difference maker in this one. Motiejus Krivas and Tobe Awaka will have a ton of opportunities against Purdue. Arizona has shown itself to be an aggressive, physical team, and if it displays that toughness in this contest, Purdue will not be able to keep up. The Wildcats have won 10 of their previous 12 games by at least seven points.
