The Utah State Aggies take on the Purdue Boilermakers. Check out our Men's March Madness odds series for our Utah State Purdue prediction and pick. Find how to watch Utah State Purdue.
The Utah State Aggies gave the Mountain West a big boost in this NCAA Tournament. They were one of two Mountain West teams — San Diego State being the other — to make the Round of 32 and play on the weekend. Last year, the San Diego State Aztecs made the national championship game and were able to offset a dreary showing by the other Mountain West teams which did not do well in 2023. The Mountain West had one team which excelled in March Madness, but it felt less like a conference's triumph and more about one team — San Diego State — breaking from the pack as an anomaly.
The Mountain West really needed a team other than SDSU to win a first-round game and contend for a spot in the Sweet 16. Utah State became that team with a dominant second half against TCU. The Aggies pulled away from the Horned Frogs and defeated their Big 12 opponent in convincing fashion. Now Utah State head coach Danny Sprinkle, rumored as one of the top candidates for the open job at Washington, gets a crack at top-seeded Purdue and Zach Edey. Purdue is trying to make its first Final Four since 1980 in what is a hugely pressure-packed March for the Boilermakers.
Here are the Utah State-Purdue Men's March Madness odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Men's March Madness Odds: Utah State-Purdue Odds
Utah State Aggies: +11.5 (-114)
Purdue Boilermakers: -11.5 (-106)
Over: 148.5 (-110)
Under: 148.5 (-110)
How To Watch Utah State vs Purdue
Time: 2:40 pm ET / 11:40 am PT
TV: CBS
Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Utah State Could Cover the Spread
The spread is really large for a Utah State team which won the Mountain West regular-season championship and has continued to show it is a good team. Utah State was a 3.5-point underdog against TCU heading into tipoff on Friday night. The Aggies hammered TCU outright, covering the spread by a double-digit point margin. The Aggies are being underestimated here. They might not win this game outright versus Purdue, but they definitely should be able to make it close and competitive. Utah State is a tough team, unlike some of the other Mountain West squads (New Mexico) which crashed out of the tournament without mustering much of any defense.
Purdue is not an NCAA Tournament rock of strength. Keep in mind that Purdue has been eliminated by double-digit seeds three years in a row. Utah State is a No. 8 seed. Purdue could win, but the Boilermakers generally don't deserve the benefit of the doubt in March. Beating Grambling by a lot in the first round really shouldn't change that. This team has a lot more to prove to the skeptics, and skepticism is warranted.
Why Purdue Could Cover the Spread
The Aggies are good, but they can get physically overwhelmed. They were dominated by San Diego State in the second half of their Mountain West Tournament semifinal game earlier in March. They lost at home to Nevada earlier this season. Their home game versus New Mexico went down to the wire. Purdue and Zach Edey represent a much bigger, tougher challenge than what USU has faced in Mountain West play. This is a puzzle Utah State won't solve.
Final Utah State-Purdue Prediction & Pick
The spread is really large. Utah State losing by seven points seems about right here. Take Utah State, or maybe wait to see if the live line goes to 14.5 or 15.5 early in the game. USU should be able to keep it fairly close.
Final Utah State-Purdue Prediction & Pick: Utah State +11.5
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