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College basketball’s annual tradition of “One Shining Moment” will be live on televisions soon, but which team will be seen cutting down the nets at the end of it? Reigning national champion UConn will meet Purdue on Monday, April 8, in the NCAA Tournament championship game, and here we’re taking a look at the 2024 March Madness Men’s National Championship odds for UConn vs. Purdue.

2024 March Madness Men’s National Championship Odds: UConn vs. Purdue

All season long, UConn and Purdue have been among the top three teams in the national rankings, so it is fitting that these are the last two teams with a chance to win the title.

UConn opened as 5.5-point favorites against Purdue shortly after defeating Alabama in Saturday’s second national semifinal in Glendale, Ariz. The point spread was quickly bet up to 6 and then 6.5 by Sunday morning.

The Huskies, who are the No. 1 overall seed for the tournament, have covered the spread in all five games to this point. That comes on the heels of last year’s tourney run that saw them go 6-0 against the spread en route to the championship.

Something has to give, though, because Purdue is also 5-0 ATS in this tournament, including Saturday’s 63-50 win over North Carolina State as 9.5-point favorites.

The total for Monday’s game is 145.5 points or 146 points depending on the sportsbook you choose. That’s down from the opener of 147.5 on Saturday night.

2024 March Madness Men’s National Championship Odds: Huskies’ Bark is Fierce

The old saying goes, “Good teams win. Great teams cover.” A great team is exactly what we have with UConn. It’s hard enough to win even one game in the NCAA Tournament, but UConn has won 11 in a row AND covered the spread in every game.

In Saturday’s win over Alabama, UConn responded every time Alabama made a run and eventually built a 10-point lead with five minutes to go.

The Huskies are one of the slowest teams in the nation in terms of pace, but they execute at an extremely high level. They can do that because of the unselfish brand of basketball they play combined with excellent depth and an abundance of playmakers.

If one or two players are having a bad game, there are always two or three more who can pick up the slack. One underrated aspect of the Huskies is that their guards rebound extremely well. That will be critical against Purdue, which excels in offensive rebounding.

2024 March Madness Men’s National Championship Odds: Can Zach Edey Carry Purdue?

All eyes will be on Zach Edey — Purdue’s 7-foot, 4-inch center — on Monday to see if he can continue his monstrous run for one more game.

The two-time reigning Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year is averaging 28 points, 15.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game during the NCAA Tournament. That includes an incredible 40 points and 16 rebounds in the Elite 8 win over Tennessee.

Edey is more than a scorer and a rebounder, as Purdue’s offense depends on him to find open shooters when opponents double team him.

He is a mismatch for virtually every Purdue opponent, but on Monday he’ll have to battle with UConn center Donovan Clingan, who stands 7-feet, 2-inches.

Clingan’s duty will be to defend without fouling, which has been a tough task for Purdue opponents. Edey is so savvy with his post moves that sometimes defenders can’t help but foul.

Throughout the regular season and the NCAA Tournament, UConn has looked like a team playing to a standard — not just to beat its opponent.

So, the Huskies are hungry for more than wins. They knew when the season began, as reigning national champs, they would be the hunted team. So far they have passed with flying colors with an NCAA-best margin of victory of 18.1 points.

Don’t expect this run to stop now.

Purdue is no slouch, and if Clingan gets into early foul trouble against Edey, things could change. UConn coach Dan Hurley, however, is a fantastic in-game coach, and he’ll have a plan ready for if that happens.

Purdue’s other strength of offensive rebounding can be negated by UConn’s guards rebounding at a strong rate. The Boilermakers also go through spells of turnovers, and that could lead to an instant death against UConn.

The Huskies have been rolling for two seasons, and that’s not going to stop now. Take UConn to cover -6.5.