How Oddsmakers View NCAA Tournament’s Final Four Matchups
It's UConn's tournament to lose
Top-seeded UConn started the NCAA Tournament as the prohibitive favorite, and the Huskies have done absolutely nothing to change that notion.
If anything, the Huskies are seen as an even stronger team now. Winning 10 straight NCAA Tournament games by double digits will do that.
UConn's next challenge comes in the Final Four where they are joined by No. 4 Alabama, No. 1 Purdue and the Cinderella darling, No. 11 NC State. The Wolfpack and Boilermakers will battle first with a 6:09 p.m. ET tip on Saturday from State Farm Stadium in Phoenix. The Huskies and Crimson Tide will follow in the night cap.
Due to its dominance, UConn is a double-digit favorite against Alabama, which is making its first Final Four appearance in program history. DraftKings Sportsbook set UConn as an 11.5-point favorite.
DraftKings also gave a sizable spread to Purdue, making them a 9-point favorite over NC State. That matchup will feature a showdown between two elite big men in Purdue's 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey and Wolfpack star forward DJ Burns Jr., who packs an array of moves into his 6-foot-9, 275-pound frame.
Here is how things shake out on the moneyline:
UConn -195
Purdue +205
NC State +1600
Alabama +1600
Oddsmakers clearly see a national title game between the Huskies and Boilermakers. But Alabama and NC State especially will look to pull off an upset to prevent that matchup from happening.
