NCAA Final Four Betting Picks

by WagerHome Blog on April 1, 2021

It’s been an unusual NCAA Tournament, with the entire thing taking place in Indiana. But it has also been a fantastic NCAA Tournament, and now we’re down to the Final Four.

There was the single COVID-19 incident that resulted in VCU having to forfeit its first-round game with Oregon, but otherwise, we made it to the Final Four without any other hiccups and with a lot of great basketball.

Baylor Bears (-5.0) vs. Houston Cougars

As crazy as the Midwest Region got, with No. 1 Illinois falling to Loyola Chicago, No. 11 Syracuse marching to the Sweet 16, and No. 12 Oregon State going all the way to the Elite Eight, one of the pre-tournament favorites in Houston advanced to the Final Four.

The road to Houston’s first Final Four since 1984 and the days of Phi Slama Jama and Akeem Olajuwon (Hakeem since 1991) has not been terribly challenging. They are the first Final Four team to ever advance that far by only playing double-digit seeds.

That changes when they face the top seed in the South, Baylor, which is making its first Final Four appearance since 1950, when the tournament had just eight teams.

Baylor was knocked off its stride when it was forced to miss three weeks during the season because of COVID-19 protocols. But the top three-point shooting team in the country looks like its old 17-0 self and rolls into the final weekend with 26 wins, the second-most in the country.

Houston dominates the offensive glass in this one and keeps it close, but ultimately the Bears are too much. Baylor wins; Houston covers.

Gonzaga Bulldogs (-13.5) vs. UCLA Bruins

From the First Four to the Final Four has been the road for the UCLA Bruins. Unlike the other three teams in Indianapolis this weekend, the Bruins are regulars in the Final Four, with this being their 19th appearance.

ncaa final four

UCLA likes to slow the pace and bore you into a loss, which is exactly how they knocked off the East’s top seed, Michigan, to get here and set up the improbable matchup with the nation’s No. 1 team Gonzaga.

The Bulldogs have been a team of destiny all season long. Not only have they not lost a single game all year, but they have won their last 27 games by double digits.

Not surprisingly, that is an NCAA Division I record. Here in the NCAA Tournament, Gonzaga’s wins have been by 43, 16, 18, and 19.

It’s hard to imagine a program in search of its first-ever national championship being this big of a favorite against a program with 11 national championships, but there aren’t many teams like this year’s Gonzaga Bulldogs. The Bulldogs win big, cover the spread, and roll into Monday’s final game.

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WagerHome BlogNCAA Final Four Betting Picks

Favorites to Win the NCAA Basketball Championship

by WagerHome Blog on December 1, 2020

One of the biggest sports casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic was last year’s NCAA Basketball Tournament. The fans were, of course, deprived of the best month of sports and the best sports gambling event anywhere on the calendar.

But more importantly, 68 teams worth of young basketball players were deprived of the dream of playing for the basketball national championship.

Since last March, the sports world has figured out how to play out championships, with the NHL, NBA, and MLB all awarding their titles. We hope and pray the same works out for the NFL, NCAA football, and the college basketball season that tipped off last week.

NCAA Basketball Futures Betting Odds

Barring any changes, there will be 68 teams playing for the championship in March, with 31 automatic bids going out to the conference tournament champions (The only conference missing this season is the Ivy League).

As for which of the 68 teams will be left standing at the end of the Final Four in Indianapolis, these are your favorites.

  • Baylor (+175)
  • Gonzaga (+175)
  • Villanova (+200)
  • Virginia (+200)
  • Iowa (+225)
  • Kansas (+250)
  • Kentucky (+250)
  • Texas Tech (+300)
  • Creighton (+325)
  • Duke (+325)
  • Illinois (+325)
  • Florida State (+350)
  • Wisconsin (+375)
  • Michigan State (+425)

We’ve already seen our first big game between contenders when Gonzaga won easily over Kansas. It was an offensive explosion with the Bulldogs, besting the Jayhawks 102-90.

The game was especially welcome when you consider that we lost a Baylor vs. Villanova game due to COVID-19 issues.

Normally this kind of upset is reserved for the first weekend of the tournament, but Virginia lost to San Francisco in one of the true early-season shockers. It’s a window into the upcoming season and not only the unpredictability of COVID-19, but the unpredictability of how it will affect play on the court.

Blue Bloods vs. New Bloods

Kentucky reloads every season, and, as former Providence head coach Pete Gillen once said, “Duke is Duke.” So it’s no surprise that the Wildcats and Blue Devils are among the favorites to win in March.

But perennial participant North Carolina doesn’t make our list, as it is tied with Ohio State and San Diego State at +700. Long-time basketball powers UCLA and Louisville are also at +700. Connecticut, with championships in 2011 and 2014, is only +1400 – the same as Maryland and Purdue.

ncaa basketball

Meanwhile, Baylor, which hasn’t been to a Final Four since 1950, tops our list. And the Creighton Bluejays, who have never appeared in a Final Four and haven’t gotten to the Round of 32 since 2014, has the same odds as Duke and five-time Final Four participant Illinois.

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WagerHome BlogFavorites to Win the NCAA Basketball Championship