Final Four NCAA Preview. We have two No. 1 seeds left in the tournament—UConn and Purdue. Tennessee was the only No. 2 seed to make it out of the Sweet 16, but Zack Edey and Purdue took them down in the Elite Eight. Now, the unlikely underdogs, No. 11 NC State, is matched up against Purdue for the Final Four. UConn will take on No. 4 seed Alabama.
Will the two No. 1 seeds meet in the championship game this year? It’s not uncommon for that to happen. Let’s see the odds of the final four teams.
Final Four NCAA Preview
No. 11 NC State Wolfpack vs. No. 1 Purdue Boilermakers (-9.5, 146.5)
Both teams have been away from the Final Four for a long time. NC State has waited since 1983, while Purdue hasn’t been here since 1980. The Boilermakers have come close but have had no luck until this year. Zack Edey has done a fantastic job of leading this team to this point. After this, it’s new territory after this, as Purdue has never won the championship. Will they be able to get past this point, or will an upstart team led by DJ Burns stop them in their tracks?
NC State was a No. 10 seed in the ACC Tournament and had to win it to get into the NCAA Tournament. They did, winning five games in five days. Add four wins in March Madness, and you have a nine-game winning streak, all essentially do-or-die games. They are led by fifth-year senior forward DJ Burns, who stands at 6-foot-9 and weighs a formidable 275 pounds. His quick feet and amazing body control make him difficult to play against.
I look forward to seeing how he matches up with Edey. As a bookie, I would advertise any props available between those guys.
No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. No. 1 UConn Huskies (-11.5, 161.5)
There’s no surprise that the Huskies made it this far. They have dominated this tournament and the last one, winning ten consecutive games by double digits. Their last win was against No. 3 seed Illinois, 77-52, in the Elite Eight game, easily covering the 8.5-point spread. They have a good shot at becoming the first repeat winner of the championship since Florida did it in 2006 and 2007.
The Crimson Tide have struggled defensively in this tournament, allowing 89 or more points in three of their four games. They have done exceptionally well getting this far, as it’s the first time in school history that they’ve made it to the Final Four. Unfortunately, they are outmatched in this one. The question is, can they cover the spread?
Odds to Win Final Four
- UConn: -800
- Purdue: -450
- NC State: +350
- Alabama: +550
It might seem odd that NC State has better odds than Alabama to win their next game, but it’s due to who they’re playing. Purdue choked against a No. 16 seed team last year, after all.
Below were the odds to win the tournament for all 16 teams going into the Sweet 16 round. Notice that the four teams left (in bold) came from the top and bottom teams. Can either of those bottom seeds get past the last two rounds?
Odds to Win Tournament – Prior to Sweet 16
- UConn: +210
- Houston: +500
- Purdue: +600
- Arizona: +800
- Tennessee: +1200
- North Carolina: +1300
- Marquette: +1500
- Iowa State: +2000
- Duke: +2300
- Creighton: +2500
- Gonzaga: +2500
- Illinois: +3200
- Alabama: +3600
- San Diego State: +7500
- Clemson: +8500
- NC State: +12000
Odds to Win Tournament – Prior to Final Four
- UConn: -190
- Purdue: +190
- Alabama: +1600
- NC State: +1800
North Carolina State is still in last place, but they closed the gap considerably. Any team that makes it this far automatically gains a lot of respect. Like the other three teams, they are only two wins away from winning the tournament. This weekend, keep all your limits in, as all the betting money will be concentrated on only four teams.
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