Scouting report: Purdue basketball vs North Carolina State; Prediction for NCAA Final Four

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Purdue basketball's chance to advance to the national championship game for the first time since 1969 has one final obstacle.

North Carolina State and NCAA Tournament darling DJ Burns Jr.

The Boilermakers are heavy favorites, 9.5 points per BetMGM, to win Saturday's Final Four matchup.

If that happen, the Boilers will play either Connecticut or Alabama for the title on Monday night.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

More:Family ties make Final Four run extra special for Purdue basketball trio

Wolfpack are back

It's been an improbable run for N.C. State. The Wolfpack had to win their conference tournament just to make the NCAA field.

Since losing at Pittsburgh in the regular season finale, N.C. State has won nine straight elimination games to keep its season alive.

This is the Wolfpack's first Final Four since they won it (on the dunk) in 1983.

DJ Burns Jr. and others

Burns is averaging 18.3 points per game in the NCAA Tournament and also had 20 in the ACC title game against North Carolina.

But he's not North Carolina State's leading scorer this season. That would be DJ Horne, who averages 16.8 points per game. Mohammad Diarra is averaging 7.8 rebounds per game and North Carolina State, led by Horne, is shooting nearly 35 percent from 3 as a team.

Purdue's historic run

The Boilermakers, led by Zach Edey, but with strong secondary offensive contributions from Trey Kaufman-Renn, Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Lance Jones along the way, have outscored their four NCAA Tournament opponents by a combined 85 points. That's the third most through four games in NCAA Tournament history, behind this year's Connecticut team and the 1967 UCLA squad.

Purdue is plus 71 in rebounds, the largest separation over opponents through four NCAA Tournament games in history.

More:In a new age of college basketball, Matt Painter and Purdue proves old school still works.

Pick to click

N.C. State is being coy about its plan to guard Edey.

That's fine. Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.

Give me the 7-foot-4 National Player of the Year to go off again. College basketball is Edey's world right now.

Purdue basketball vs N.C. State prediction

The Boilermakers are on a mission.

The Wolfpack are on the improbable ride of their lives. Somehow, those unlikely NCAA Tournament upsets for the ages tend to happen at Purdue's expense.

Not this time.

Prediction: Purdue 85, N.C. State 71

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.