The Purdue Boilermakers make their first Final Four appearance in more than 40 years when they face the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Saturday. Purdue (33-4) knocked off Tennessee 72-66 in the Elite Eight to reach the Final Four for the first time since 1980. NC State (26-14) also returns to the Final Four after a hiatus of over four decades, earning its first berth since 1983 with a 76-64 triumph over Duke. 

Tipoff at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. is scheduled for 6:09 p.m. ET. The Boilermakers are 9-point favorites in the latest Purdue vs. NC State odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 146.

Before making any NC State vs. Purdue picks or NCAA Tournament predictions, you need to check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model. (See up-to-date odds for every game this week on our college basketball odds page.)

The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered the Sweet 16 round of the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 152-109 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,800 for $100 players. It also has a strong 32-21 (+890) record on top-rated spread picks this season, and it called 13 Sweet 16 teams this year. Anyone following has seen HUGE returns!

The model knows that after being eliminated by 16th-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round of last year's NCAA Tournament, Purdue has defeated its first four opponents this year by an average of 21.3 points. Zach Edey recorded his 28th double-double of the season and fourth during March Madness in Sunday's victory against Tennessee, scoring a career-high 40 points while pulling down 16 rebounds. The senior center became the first player since Loyola Marymount's Bo Kimble in 1990 to record at least 40 points and 15 boards in a Tournament game.

The model has also taken into account that NC State ended its regular season with a four-game losing streak but has posted nine straight victories since, including two against Duke. The Wolfpack have held six consecutive opponents to field-goal percentages below 40% and handed the Blue Devils their largest loss of the season on Sunday. Senior forward DJ Burns Jr. scored a season-high 29 points for NC State after recording only four in the team's Sweet 16 victory versus Marquette.

For Saturday, the model has set its sights on Purdue vs. NC State. We can tell you the model is leaning Over on the point total, and it also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time! You ABSOLUTELY need to see the model before locking in any college basketball picks.

Who wins Purdue vs. NC State, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the NC State vs. Purdue spread you should be all over Saturday, all from the model on a 32-21 roll on top-ranked college basketball spread picks!