March Madness Odds Championship Game: Purdue vs UConn Line, Spread, Betting Trends

Patrick Everson Sports Betting Expert

4 minute read

March Madness odds for the championship game are on the board, as the nation's greatest three-weekend sports betting party reaches its finale.

No. 1 seed UConn meets fellow No. 1 seed Purdue. The Huskies are favored while pursuing a second straight national title. The Boilermakers are looking to go from a first-round exit last year to champions this year.

Here's everything you need to know about the 2024 March Madness odds championship game market: action, movement and betting trends. Check back regularly for updates, as bookmakers provide their insights on Purdue vs UConn odds. You can use our Caesar's Sportsbook promo code to get potential bonus bets. And if you're a college hoops bettor in North Carolina, registration is now available, as all the top North Carolina sportsbooks are live.

March Madness Odds for Championship Game

No. 1 Purdue vs No. 1 UConn Odds

• Opening point spread: UConn 6
• Opening moneyline: UConn -245/Purdue +198
• Opening total: Over/Under 149 points scored
• Time: 9:20 p.m. ET Monday (TBS)

UPDATE 8:30 P.M. ET MONDAY: Fifty minutes before game time, Connecticut is laying 7 points in TwinSpires Sportsbook's Purdue vs UConn odds market. The Huskies opened -6.5 went to -7 and even touched -7.5 this afternoon.

Spread ticket count is 2/1 and spread money 2.5/1 on UConn.

"It's one-way traffic on UConn. We finally saw some buyback on Purdue +7.5, but it's still overwhelming liability on UConn," TwinSpires director of retail sports Zachary Lucas said.

The total opened at 146 and bottomed out at 143.5, with multiple stops along the way. It's now at 144, with the Over seeing 57% of tickets, but 73% of cash on the Under.

"Sharp play on the Under," Lucas said.

UPDATE 1:30 P.M. ET MONDAY: With eight hours to go until tipoff, BetMGM has UConn out to -7.5 (even) in the March Madness odds championship game market. The line went from an opener of Huskies -5.5 to -6.5 almost immediately Saturday night.

Today brought a move, then a juice adjustment. UConn went from -6.5 (-115) to -7.5 (-105) midmorning, then nudged to -7.5 (even) late this morning at BetMGM. Earlier today, spread ticket count was running 2/1 and spread money 3/1 on UConn.

"It's just been one-way traffic on UConn -6.5. We're rooting for Purdue +6.5," BetMGM trading manager Seamus Magee said. "Purdue outright is fantastic for the futures book, so that would be a dream result."

The total opened at 148.5 and tumbled 3 points within an hour Saturday night, to 145.5. This morning, BetMGM briefly went to 144.5 (Over -120), and the number is now 145.5 (Under -115).

The Under is seeing 62% of tickets, but money is running almost dead even.

UPDATE 7:30 P.M. ET SUNDAY: Caesars Sports' trading team discussed this matchup Saturday night and came to a consensus line of UConn -5.5. But the oddsmakers also recognized that the Huskies are scorching hot on the floor and at the betting window.

With that in mind, Caesars opened Connecticut -6 late Saturday night and quickly got bet up to -6.5.

"There’s a tax built in because of the recency bias on UConn. Dan Hurley’s team just continues to win and cover," Zanco said, alluding to the 11-0 SU and ATS run through the 2023 and 2024 NCAA Tourneys. "So we opened -6 to see what the bettors decided to do with that.”

The bettors got on UConn -6 early, pushing Caesars up to Huskies -6.5.

"Right now, it's two-way play. They're laying the points with UConn, and we're taking some bets on the 'dog on the moneyline, as usual. It's inviting to bettors when you see a team like Purdue at +220," Zanco said.

Caesars opened the total at 147, quickly dipped to 146, then went to 145.5 this morning. Zanco noted there were a few respected bets on Under 147.

UPDATE 8:30 P.M. ET SATURDAY: UConn (36-3 SU/27-12 ATS) continued its torrid run by dumping No. 4 seed Alabama in the Final Four nightcap. The Huskies ran away from Alabama in the final 10 minutes, posting a 86-72 victory as 10.5-point favorites.

Through the 2023 and 2024 NCAA Tournaments, Connecticut is 11-0 SU and ATS. The Huskies look to make it 12-0 in Monday night's championship game.

In the Final Four opener, Purdue (34-4 SU/22-15-1 ATS) ended the Cinderella run of N.C. State. The Boilermakers kept the Wolfpack at arm's length throughout the second half, winning 63-50 as 9.5-point favorites.

Purdue is 5-0 SU and ATS in the NCAA Tournament.

FanDuel Sportsbook opened the Huskies -5.5 in the March Madness odds championship game market. Within minutes, Connecticut advanced to -6.5 (-105).

In Las Vegas at The SuperBook, the Huskies opened -6, with a total of 149 on the Purdue vs UConn odds board. The spread is already up to Connecticut -6.5, while the total is already down to 146.5.

"Early action is on UConn and the Under," SuperBook senior risk supervisor Casey Degnon said. "I think UConn will be the more popular side here. We'll be rooting for the Huskies to win because of the futures pools."

Indeed, earlier this evening, SuperBook executive director John Murray said Purdue was a much worse outcome in the championship odds market.

Patrick Everson

Patrick Everson is a senior reporter for VegasInsider. Based in Las Vegas since 1994, he's worked in the sports betting journalism/content space for more than a decade. He's most known for his deep roster of contacts behind sportsbook counters, providing readers and viewers with the ins-and-outs of how events are being bet. He's also a thought leader in the sports betting space, often appearing on or moderating panels at national conferences. More from Patrick Everson