Posted at 3:30 PM EST. Odds subject to change.

Pinnacle +181 BET365 +185 Sportsinteraction +175   888Sport +180

Gonzaga +185 over Purdue

Little Caesars Arena - Detroit, MI

Men's Basketball Championship - Midwest Region - Sweet 16

Streaming: TBS/truTV

7:39 PM EST. The Boilermakers of Purdue have all the attention here, as they look to make up for last year’s first-round exit as a #1 seed. Purdue is a #1 seed again this season, and while they got through the first weekend with ease, anything short of a Final Four appearance has got to be considered a disappointment. The Boilermakers disposed of #16 Grambling State in Round 1, and then #8 Utah State in Round 2, but that game against Utah State was an odd one, as it looked like the Aggies packed up and were ready to head home very early in that game. Put more bluntly, the Aggies quit, and Purdue coasted to this Sweet 16 with no resistance.

The overarching storyline here is that the Bulldogs of Gonzaga have played Purdue the last two regular seasons, which makes this a most unusual cross-conference rematch in the Sweet 16. You’ll hear the talking heads note that the Zags lost both of those games by double digits, with their 73-63 loss this season being the most recent. However, that game was played in November, in Maui, which is an early-season tournament that is a glorified vacation. That game matters not. The Bulldogs got here by blowing out McNeese State and Kansas, but their win over the Jayhawks has been discounted greatly because of the injuries on the Kansas side.

The Bulldogs of Gonzaga provide such an upgrade in competition for Purdue, that we have to question just how the Boilermakers are going to react when they get some pushback. That said, it’s the inflated price Purdue is spotting here that matters most. When they played Wisconsin in the Big Ten (B1G) Tournament, the Boilermakers were a -5 point favorite against the Badgers, who are ranked #17 in the power ranking. Now, after two huge blowouts on the biggest of stages, Purdue is giving that same pile of points to the 12th-ranked Zags. That game the Boilermakers won by 10 versus the Bulldogs earlier this year has influence, too. We won’t begrudge anyone inclined to take back the points, but we aren’t going to need them tonight, as we’re wagering another #1 seed is going home.

Sherwood

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