This Gonzaga vs Purdue matchup could be one of the best games of the NCAA Tournament. Both teams have clearly defined strengths that the other side will have to neutralize in order to come away with a win. The question will be which of those strengths will win the day, as Purdue looks to win this game in the paint, while the Zags aim to do so with their superior guard play.

Of course, no team can fully stop Zach Edey in the paint for the Purdue Boilermakers. You can only hope to contain him and force him into some tough shots. The question for Gonzaga will be whether Graham Ike and the rest of their bigs can do that and make the night tough on Edey without getting into foul trouble that would compromise Gonzaga on the offensive end of the floor.

But even if Edey does get his in the painted area, this Gonzaga vs Purdue matchup could come down to the outside shooting of the guards for the Bulldogs. Nolan Hickman and Ryan Nembhard have both had moments of brilliance in this tournament thus far, helping the Zags blow out McNeese State and Kansas. But a bad shooting night could derail the season for the Bulldogs in this game, as Gonzaga needs points from the perimeter to offset their likely advantage on the interior.

At the end of the day, our expectation is that the underdog will cover the spread in this Gonzaga vs Purdue matchup from Detroit. Even if the crowd is in favor of Purdue, Gonzaga is battle-tested, having played at Kentucky late in the season. They should be able to block out the noise and keep this game close throughout.

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