Arizona vs. Purdue NCAA Tournament Elite Eight predictions: Odds, recent stats, trends and best bets

In a classic matchup of experience vs. youth and athleticism, Purdue and Arizona meet Saturday night with a trip to the Final Four at stake. The Boilermakers rely on a senior-laden core of Braden Smith , Fletcher Loyer , and Trey Kaufman-Renn , a trio that reached the 2024 National Championship game while Arizona starts three freshmen, Koa Peat , Brayden Burries , and Ivan Kharchenkov .

Arizona was out and out dominant in their 109-88 victory over Arkansas Thursday night in the Sweet 16. In the game they set an NCAA Tournament record with six players scoring 14+ points. Purdue was in a dogfight in their last game, narrowly escaping No.

11 Texas with a 79-77 win. Kaufman-Renn tipped in the game-winner with less than a second remaining to secure the win. Arizona is at their best when they are attacking the rim.

The Wildcats’ have no issue piling up the points and they do so despite ranking near the bottom of the country in three-point attempts. Purdue, conversely, relies on the three-ball, possessing a Top 15 shooting percentage from beyond the arc. Fun Fact: Purdue is 3-0 against Arizona when the Wildcats are ranked in the Top Two in the nation.