2024 National Championship Game picks, expert predictions, odds: UConn vs. Purdue score projections revealed

The 2024 NCAA Tournament National Championship Game takes place in Phoenix on Monday. For the 11th time since seeding was introduced in 1978, No. 1 seeds will go head-to-head in the final. No. 1 overall seed UConn is the defending national champion and the Huskies have won their first five games during March Madness 2024 by double-digits. Meanwhile, Purdue was the No. 1 seed in the Midwest and has won four of its matchups by double-digits, with only Tennessee taking the Boilermakers to the wire (72-66) in the regional final.

Tipoff is scheduled for 9:20 p.m. ET and the latest UConn vs. Purdue odds list the Huskies as 7-point favorites with the over/under at 145.5. Can Zach Edey put a bow on one of the greatest careers in the history of college basketball with a national championship win, or will fellow 7-footer Donovan Clingan be able to handle him on the block to give UConn the edge? SportsLine’s experts have teamed up to give you college basketball betting advice and National Championship score predictions needed to make the best 2024 NCAA Tournament picks possible.

Their team of experts includes Thomas Casale (22-4-1 CBB run), Bruce Marshall (49-32-1) and Larry Hartstein (82-63-3). Casale’s college basketball picks are 305-179-7 (63%) over the last three seasons. He also is on a 23-5-1 roll on his last 29 against-the-spread picks for a profit of $1,733 for $100 bettors. Marshall has netted $1,240 for $100 bettors across his last 82 picks, while Hartstein is up $1,202 on his last 148 college basketball spread picks.

Now, SportsLine’s college basketball experts have analyzed the 2024 National Championship Game and locked in their 2024 NCAA Tournament score projections for Purdue vs. UConn. You can see the exact score projections only at SportsLine.

Top 2024 National Championship Game score predictions

One of the 2024 NCAA Tournament National Championship Game score projections is from Casale, who is predicting top overall seed UConn beats Purdue, 81-74, to become the first back-to-back national champion since Florida in 2006 and 2007. 

“Purdue and UConn have been the two best college basketball teams all season, so it’s fitting they will meet to decide the National Championship,” Casale told SportsLine. “The Huskies have won and covered 11 straight NCAA Tournament games. Meanwhile, Purdue is 5-0 against the spread in this year’s tournament. This is a really tough game to handicap. UConn tends to foul a lot, which favors the Boilermakers. However, the Huskies are one of the few teams that can compete with Purdue on the boards. I make this line UConn -5. There is some value backing Purdue but do you really want to pick against the Huskies? I don’t.” See the rest of the experts’ college basketball score projections here. 

How to get 2024 National Championship picks, score projections 

SportsLine’s team of experts have locked in their exact score projections for the 2024 NCAA Tournament National Championship. They include a prediction that one team “has the coaching edge,” while one has found a scenario that could lead to huge trouble for one team. You can only see four experts’ National Championship score predictions for the 2024 NCAA Tournament at SportsLine.

So which college basketball picks can you make with confidence, and which team is a must-back? Check out the latest college basketball odds below, then visit SportsLine to see exact college basketball score projections for the 2024 NCAA Tournament National Championship, all from a proven team of profitable college basketball experts. 

2024 National Championship odds, spreads, lines, schedule, time

Get full college basketball picks at SportsLine

Monday, April 8

No. 1 UConn vs. No. 1 Purdue (+7, 145.5)
9:20 p.m. ET