CBB ODDS, CBB PREDICTIONS, CBB PREVIEWS
MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2024
RICK BOWE CBB FREE PICKS
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It all comes down to this. It’s national championship time! UConn and Purdue for the title. Coach Rick has tonight’s Quick Pick as well as his Best Bet that you can pick up today here at Ylose.com. The Coach’s Best Bets are 5-0 in the last five and he’s brewing up another winner for tonight’s game. In the meantime, here’s tonight’s free pick.
PURDUE vs. UCONN (UCONN -6.5, 145.5)
OVER 145.5
These are the two best teams in the country right now. Of that, there is no question. UConn has won 12 straight and is 11-1 ATS in those games. Purdue has marched through the tournament with five straight wins and five straight covers. Much has been said of the Huskies’ success in recent NCAA tournaments.
UConn is 11-0 SU and ATS in its last 11 tournament games. They ran the table last year - 6-0 SU and ATS - on the way to the national title. Since 2009, UConn is now 27-6 ATS in the NCAA tournament. They covered 14 of those games by double digits.
Purdue is no slouch in the cover department. The Boilermakers played 10 games against nationally ranked opponents this season. They went 8-1-1 ATS in those games. Purdue is also 9-2-1 ATS in games played at a neutral site this season. To top it off, teams in the NCAA tournament coming off a game where they held their opponent to 60 points or less have covered in their next game 66 percent of the time since 2005.
You can make a strong argument to back either side against the number. That’s why Coach Rick will lean on the total. Both of these teams run their offense through the post and neither team really jacks a ton of threes. Both teams rank outside of the Top 240 in Average Offensive Possession Length. UConn also ranks 315th in tempo. For the tournament, both teams are averaging less than 70 possessions per game.
Now, that all may make you want to play the Under. However, both of these outstanding teams rank in the Top 15 in Offensive Rebounding. Purdue ranks No. 13 in the country in Free Throw Rate. Zach Edey has been to the line over 400 times this season. What many tend to forget is that these two teams are extremely efficient on offense. UConn ranks No. 1 in the nation in Offensive Efficiency. Purdue is fourth.
While everyone is busy jumping on the trendy Under, Coach Rick will take two super efficient offenses that get a few extra points on putbacks and a couple extra at the free throw line tonight to go Over 145.5.
Get free CBB Picks, and CBB Predictions for the top games on the weekly 2023-24 CBB schedule from Rick Bowe, one of the industry's premier basketball handicappers. Rick Bowe has been bringing the CBB betting community the best CBB free picks and predictions for the last decade. Visit daily for the best CBB point spread, moneyline, game totals and props picks.