Very few things on the sports calendar can match the excitement and unpredictability of the NCAA Tournament. So why not add betting to the mix via the college basketball odds at FanDuel Sportsbook?

The 2024 edition of the big dance has arrived, and here at FanDuel Research, we'll have you covered with a betting guide for each game.

All college basketball odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook, and lines may change after this article is published.

NCAA Tournament Betting Picks

Utah State vs. Purdue Betting Odds

Date and Time: Sunday, March 24th at 2:40 p.m. ET

Spread: Purdue -11.5 (-110)

Total: 148.5

Moneyline:

• Utah State: +500
• Purdue: -720

Utah State vs. Purdue Statistical Breakdown

Advanced stats from KenPom, Bart Torvik and numberFire.

Utah State Aggies

• numberFire Ranking: 47th
• Bart Torvik Ranking: 58th
• KenPom Ranking: 48th
  • Adjusted Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 65th
  • Adjusted Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 31st
  • Adjusted Tempo Ranking: 107th

Purdue Boilermakers

• numberFire Ranking: 2nd
• Bart Torvik Ranking: 3rd
• KenPom Ranking: 3rd
  • Adjusted Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 19th
  • Adjusted Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 4th
  • Adjusted Tempo Ranking: 190th

Utah State vs. Purdue Best Bet

Purdue -11.5 (-110)

We can wait long and hard for the Purdue Boilermakers to collapse. I don't think it's happening anytime soon.

Purdue has built up a bad reputation for their poor showings in the NCAA Tournament. But make no mistake: they are a better team than the Utah State Aggies and should be able to cover this Sunday.

The Boilermakers sailed to a 28-point victory in the first round of the tournament, and when looking ahead to this Utah State matchup, the Aggies do not seem equipped to guard Zach Edey.

It wouldn't be a stretch to name Edey as the undisputed best player in college ball. His first-round stat line included 30 points, 21 rebounds, and a trio of blocks in just 31 minutes.

The 7'4' star could win this game all by his lonesome, especially against a Utah State team that ranks 150th in height.

Edey will draw a matchup from Utah State's center Isaac Johnson.

Good luck finding anything nice to say about Johnson's defensive qualities. EvanMiya's Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating (DBPR), which measures the defensive value a player brings to his team, has Johnson ranked 1,207th among 2,994 players with at least 500 possessions.

Great Osobor ranks 197th in DBPR, but it's hard to make a case for Utah State's starting forward to have success against Edey, who stands eight inches taller than him.

Utah State ranks outside the top 30 on both offense and defense. Purdue is a top-20 team in both regards. No one can stop Edey, so we shouldn't let history distract us from siding with the Boilermakers.

Utah State vs. Purdue Prop Bet

Zach Edey Over 26.5 Points (+100)

With a smooth matchup in tow, Edey could score over 26.5 points for a fourth straight game.

We've touched on the lack of big-man defensive threats on Utah State. But their 65th-ranked defense has to stand for something, right?

Well, Utah State has a pretty good three-point defense, giving up the 31st-fewest percentage of points from behind the arc.

But Edey doesn't shoot threes. He should be able to make a meal out of Utah State's interior defense, one that gives up the 30th-most percentage of their points via two-pointers.

In 23 games where Edey has played at least 30 minutes, he is scoring over 26.5 points at a 60.9% rate. I'll take the even-money odds.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.