The second day of Sweet 16 action is going to take place on Friday, and there will be a ton of focus on the Midwest Region. That is where the Gonzaga Bulldogs are going to take on the Purdue Boilermakers in what should be a terrific battle.
Gonzaga looked like they were going to miss out on the NCAA Tournament at points this year, but they have been on a roll. The Bulldogs blew out the Kansas Jayhawks in the Second Round to get to this point in the Sweet 16.
Purdue has been one of the top teams all season long, and they were given the top overall seed in the Midwest Region. The Boilermakers have lost just four games all year, and they picked up two blowout wins so far in the NCAA Tournament.
The Purdue Boilermakers are 5.5 point betting favorites in this game and the over/under is set at 154.5 total points.
Gonzaga Can Score
Even when the Gonzaga Bulldogs were struggling to win games this season, they were still an elite offensive team. Gonzaga is scoring 84.9 points per game this season, and they have been explosive in the NCAA Tournament.
Forward Graham Ike is having a huge season for the Bulldogs as he is scoring 16.4 points per game this season. Gonzaga also has the ability to light it up from the perimeter, and that will be a key in this game.
The Bulldogs are a team with plenty of size, and that is going to be a major key when trying to deal with Zach Edey as the size of Purdue.
Purdue Has Big Advantage
When it comes to the Purdue Boilermakers, they are going to have a massive size advantage in this game yet again. Zach Edey is the best player in college basketball, and he has been racking up 20-20 games over the last few weeks.
Point guard Braden Smith gives Gonzaga an elite perimeter scoring option, and that is going to be something to watch in this game as well. The Boilermakers want to set the tone in the paint, but they can also make shots.
Purdue is an extremely underrated defensive team, and this team could actually take control of the game on that end of the floor on Friday night.
Boilermakers Blow Out the Bulldogs
The Gonzaga Bulldogs have been on a great run ahead of this game, but they are facing an elite team in this matchup. Gonzaga has enough offense to keep pace in this game, but they are going to have to get stops on defense.
Zach Edey is simply the most dominant player in the country, and he is going to control the paint on both ends of the floor. Purdue has been on a mission since last season, and they aren’t going to slow down in this game.
Bet on the Purdue Boilermakers at -5.5 as they are going to get past the Gonzaga Bulldogs to get to the Elite 8.
