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Saturday, April 2
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NCAA Final Four betting previews and picks
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(11) VCU Rams vs. (8) Butler Bulldogs (-2.5, 133.5)
THE STORY: In a matchup that no one saw coming, No. 8 seed Butler and No. 11 seed Virginia Commonwealth will face off on Saturday at the Final Four in Houston. The Bulldogs have been here before, reaching the national championship game last season. But after star Gordon Hayward left for the NBA and Butler endured a less-than-dominating regular season, another trip to the Final Four seemed like a long shot. The Rams are an even larger underdog, taking Cinderella’s slipper all the way past top-seeded Kansas in the Southwest regional final. Butler and VCU will combine to be the two highest seeds ever to play each other in a Final Four game when they meet on Saturday.
TV: 6:09 p.m. ET, CBS.
ODDS: Butler -2.5. Oddsmakers opened Butler as high as -3 but the spread has since been bet down as low as -2. The total has climbed from 130 points to 133.5.
ABOUT BUTLER (27-9, 19-13-2 ATS): The Bulldogs dropped to 14-9 after losing their third straight game, 62-60 at lightly-regarded Youngstown State on Feb. 3. Since then they have won 13 straight to become the first team in history to reach back-to-back Final Fours without being a No. 1 or 2 seed in either season. It hasn’t been easy, with their four tournament wins coming by an average of 3.3 points. It took a buzzer-beater to top Old Dominion and a controversial late foul call to take down top-seeded Pittsburgh in the first weekend. After holding off Wisconsin in the Sweet 16, the Bulldogs leaned on Shelvin Mack against No. 2 seed Florida on Saturday in the Southeast regional final and were rewarded with 27 points - five in overtime - in a 74-71 triumph. Mack and fellow senior Matt Howard have taken turns leading the offense for coach Brad Stevens’ team, combining to average 37.5 points.
ABOUT VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH (28-11, 18-20-0 ATS): The third No. 11 seed to reach the Final Four, the Rams join Colonial Athletic Conference mates George Mason, who turned the trick in 2006, and an LSU squad from 1986. VCU was one of the final at-large teams selected to the field of 68 and needed to beat USC in an opening round game in order to reach the main bracket of 64 teams. En route to the Final Four, the Rams have taken down power –conference teams from the Pac-10, Big East, Big Ten, ACC and Big 12. Kansas was by far its strongest opponent, and VCU controlled the game by controlling the perimeter, knocking down 12 of 25 of its own 3-point attempts while holding the Jayhawks to 2 of 21 from beyond the arc in a 71-61 triumph. Jamie Skeen led the way with 26 points and 10 rebounds on Sunday and is averaging 15.6 points in the tournament, while Branford Burgess has chipped in 15.8.
UP NEXT: The winner will battle either Kentucky or Connecticut for the National Championship on Monday.
PREDICTION: Butler 64, VCU 62. Two of the youngest coaches in Division I will match each other possession for possession, but the Bulldogs will pull it out thanks to their experience both in the Final Four and in close games during the tournament.
(3) Connecticut Huskies vs. (4) Kentucky Wildcats (-2, 140)
THE STORY: Kentucky's long and athletic defense, which holds opponents to 39 percent shooting, faces its stiffest test yet when the Wildcats meet UConn and prolific scorer Kemba Walker in the second national semifinal Saturday in Houston. No one has been able to contain the Huskies' 6-1 junior, who is averaging 26.8 points and 6.8 assists in the tournament. But if any team can, it's Kentucky. The Wildcats harassed North Carolina into 3-of-16 shooting from beyond the arc in the regional final after frustrating Ohio State into 33 percent shooting overall in the previous round.
The Wildcats are back in the Final Four for the first time since their 1998 national title, while the Huskies are making their fourth trip since 1999. Jim Calhoun's third-seeded Huskies are the highest remaining seed in the tournament. No team, however, has been more impressive than Kentucky, whose stars finally began to jell a month ago. Oddsmakers installed the fourth-seeded Wildcats as a slight favorite despite UConn's 84-67 win over Kentucky back on Nov. 24 in the Maui Invitational. But the Wildcats have grown up since then.
Calhoun and Kentucky coach John Calipari probably will make nice, but they have a history. When Calipari was a young head coach at UMass, he irritated Calhoun -- a lot. Calhoun canceled the longstanding UConn-UMass series because he supposedly did not like Calipari's sideline behavior. Later Calipari outmaneuvered Calhoun for the services of Marcus Camby, the pride of Hartford, Conn. "Cats and dogs get along better than Cal and Calhoun," Memphis Commercial Appeal columnist Geoff Calkins once wrote.
TV: 8:45 p.m. ET, CBS.
ODDS: Kentucky -2. Oddsmakers have gone as high as -2.5 on UK. The total has dropped from 141.5 points to 140.
ABOUT KENTUCKY (29-8, 16-15-1 ATS): Unlike UConn, Kentucky does not possess a transcendent superstar. Instead it rolls out a team of all-stars. Freshman point guard Brandon Knight (17.2 points, 4.2 assists, two game-winners in NCAA tournament), freshman forward Terrence Jones (15.9 points, 8.7 rebounds), freshman sharpshooter Doron Lamb (48.1 percent on 3-pointers) and 6-6 defensive stopper DeAndre Liggins are just some of the headliners. Throw in junior guard Darius Miller (11.1 points, 44.9 percent on 3-pointers), and we still haven't mentioned the Wildcats' best player in the tournament: Josh Harrellson. The 6-10 senior, playing with a newfound assertiveness, is averaging 14.8 points and 9.0 rebounds in the Big Dance. The Wildcats' perimeter players range from 6-foot-3 to 6-foot-7; their length will bother the 6-1 Walker, 6-5 Lamb and 6-foot Napier. Just recall how Kentucky smothered Florida's smallish backcourt in the SEC title game.
ABOUT UCONN (30-9, 21-12-0 ATS): The Huskies have won nine straight dating to the start of the Big East tournament after somehow finishing just 9-9 in conference play. Walker is breaking down defenses and draining shots over them, while 6-5 freshman Jeremy Lamb has been unconscious (27 of 46 overall, 11 of 15 on 3-pointers) in the tournament. This is a team with well-defined roles that makes very few mistakes. In their 65-63 regional final win over Arizona, the Huskies committed just five turnovers and prevailed despite getting hammered on the boards. Freshman guard Shabazz Napier is an ultra-quick defensive pest (1.6 steals per game), and 6-9 sophomore Alex Oriakhi is content to do the dirty work inside (8.6 rebounds, 1.6 blocks). Walker is 33 of 36 from the foul line in the tournament. UConn is almost as stingy defensively as Kentucky; the Huskies hold opponents to 40 percent shooting.
UP NEXT: Winner advances to Monday's national championship game against Butler-VCU winner.
PREDICTION: Kentucky 77, Connecticut 70 -- Kentucky boasts a slew of players who can hit the big shot, whereas UConn relies almost exclusively on Walker and Lamb. With Harrellson establishing himself on the block, the Wildcats are sure to get open looks from the perimeter. Four of Kentucky's top five scorers hit at least 38 percent on 3-pointers. The Wildcats just took out a No. 1 seed (Ohio State) and No. 2 seed (North Carolina), and here they'll dispatch a No. 3 seed.
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Saturday, April 2
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NCAA Final Four betting previews and picks
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(11) VCU Rams vs. (8) Butler Bulldogs (-2.5, 133.5)
THE STORY: In a matchup that no one saw coming, No. 8 seed Butler and No. 11 seed Virginia Commonwealth will face off on Saturday at the Final Four in Houston. The Bulldogs have been here before, reaching the national championship game last season. But after star Gordon Hayward left for the NBA and Butler endured a less-than-dominating regular season, another trip to the Final Four seemed like a long shot. The Rams are an even larger underdog, taking Cinderella’s slipper all the way past top-seeded Kansas in the Southwest regional final. Butler and VCU will combine to be the two highest seeds ever to play each other in a Final Four game when they meet on Saturday.
TV: 6:09 p.m. ET, CBS.
ODDS: Butler -2.5. Oddsmakers opened Butler as high as -3 but the spread has since been bet down as low as -2. The total has climbed from 130 points to 133.5.
ABOUT BUTLER (27-9, 19-13-2 ATS): The Bulldogs dropped to 14-9 after losing their third straight game, 62-60 at lightly-regarded Youngstown State on Feb. 3. Since then they have won 13 straight to become the first team in history to reach back-to-back Final Fours without being a No. 1 or 2 seed in either season. It hasn’t been easy, with their four tournament wins coming by an average of 3.3 points. It took a buzzer-beater to top Old Dominion and a controversial late foul call to take down top-seeded Pittsburgh in the first weekend. After holding off Wisconsin in the Sweet 16, the Bulldogs leaned on Shelvin Mack against No. 2 seed Florida on Saturday in the Southeast regional final and were rewarded with 27 points - five in overtime - in a 74-71 triumph. Mack and fellow senior Matt Howard have taken turns leading the offense for coach Brad Stevens’ team, combining to average 37.5 points.
ABOUT VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH (28-11, 18-20-0 ATS): The third No. 11 seed to reach the Final Four, the Rams join Colonial Athletic Conference mates George Mason, who turned the trick in 2006, and an LSU squad from 1986. VCU was one of the final at-large teams selected to the field of 68 and needed to beat USC in an opening round game in order to reach the main bracket of 64 teams. En route to the Final Four, the Rams have taken down power –conference teams from the Pac-10, Big East, Big Ten, ACC and Big 12. Kansas was by far its strongest opponent, and VCU controlled the game by controlling the perimeter, knocking down 12 of 25 of its own 3-point attempts while holding the Jayhawks to 2 of 21 from beyond the arc in a 71-61 triumph. Jamie Skeen led the way with 26 points and 10 rebounds on Sunday and is averaging 15.6 points in the tournament, while Branford Burgess has chipped in 15.8.
UP NEXT: The winner will battle either Kentucky or Connecticut for the National Championship on Monday.
PREDICTION: Butler 64, VCU 62. Two of the youngest coaches in Division I will match each other possession for possession, but the Bulldogs will pull it out thanks to their experience both in the Final Four and in close games during the tournament.
(3) Connecticut Huskies vs. (4) Kentucky Wildcats (-2, 140)
THE STORY: Kentucky's long and athletic defense, which holds opponents to 39 percent shooting, faces its stiffest test yet when the Wildcats meet UConn and prolific scorer Kemba Walker in the second national semifinal Saturday in Houston. No one has been able to contain the Huskies' 6-1 junior, who is averaging 26.8 points and 6.8 assists in the tournament. But if any team can, it's Kentucky. The Wildcats harassed North Carolina into 3-of-16 shooting from beyond the arc in the regional final after frustrating Ohio State into 33 percent shooting overall in the previous round.
The Wildcats are back in the Final Four for the first time since their 1998 national title, while the Huskies are making their fourth trip since 1999. Jim Calhoun's third-seeded Huskies are the highest remaining seed in the tournament. No team, however, has been more impressive than Kentucky, whose stars finally began to jell a month ago. Oddsmakers installed the fourth-seeded Wildcats as a slight favorite despite UConn's 84-67 win over Kentucky back on Nov. 24 in the Maui Invitational. But the Wildcats have grown up since then.
Calhoun and Kentucky coach John Calipari probably will make nice, but they have a history. When Calipari was a young head coach at UMass, he irritated Calhoun -- a lot. Calhoun canceled the longstanding UConn-UMass series because he supposedly did not like Calipari's sideline behavior. Later Calipari outmaneuvered Calhoun for the services of Marcus Camby, the pride of Hartford, Conn. "Cats and dogs get along better than Cal and Calhoun," Memphis Commercial Appeal columnist Geoff Calkins once wrote.
TV: 8:45 p.m. ET, CBS.
ODDS: Kentucky -2. Oddsmakers have gone as high as -2.5 on UK. The total has dropped from 141.5 points to 140.
ABOUT KENTUCKY (29-8, 16-15-1 ATS): Unlike UConn, Kentucky does not possess a transcendent superstar. Instead it rolls out a team of all-stars. Freshman point guard Brandon Knight (17.2 points, 4.2 assists, two game-winners in NCAA tournament), freshman forward Terrence Jones (15.9 points, 8.7 rebounds), freshman sharpshooter Doron Lamb (48.1 percent on 3-pointers) and 6-6 defensive stopper DeAndre Liggins are just some of the headliners. Throw in junior guard Darius Miller (11.1 points, 44.9 percent on 3-pointers), and we still haven't mentioned the Wildcats' best player in the tournament: Josh Harrellson. The 6-10 senior, playing with a newfound assertiveness, is averaging 14.8 points and 9.0 rebounds in the Big Dance. The Wildcats' perimeter players range from 6-foot-3 to 6-foot-7; their length will bother the 6-1 Walker, 6-5 Lamb and 6-foot Napier. Just recall how Kentucky smothered Florida's smallish backcourt in the SEC title game.
ABOUT UCONN (30-9, 21-12-0 ATS): The Huskies have won nine straight dating to the start of the Big East tournament after somehow finishing just 9-9 in conference play. Walker is breaking down defenses and draining shots over them, while 6-5 freshman Jeremy Lamb has been unconscious (27 of 46 overall, 11 of 15 on 3-pointers) in the tournament. This is a team with well-defined roles that makes very few mistakes. In their 65-63 regional final win over Arizona, the Huskies committed just five turnovers and prevailed despite getting hammered on the boards. Freshman guard Shabazz Napier is an ultra-quick defensive pest (1.6 steals per game), and 6-9 sophomore Alex Oriakhi is content to do the dirty work inside (8.6 rebounds, 1.6 blocks). Walker is 33 of 36 from the foul line in the tournament. UConn is almost as stingy defensively as Kentucky; the Huskies hold opponents to 40 percent shooting.
UP NEXT: Winner advances to Monday's national championship game against Butler-VCU winner.
PREDICTION: Kentucky 77, Connecticut 70 -- Kentucky boasts a slew of players who can hit the big shot, whereas UConn relies almost exclusively on Walker and Lamb. With Harrellson establishing himself on the block, the Wildcats are sure to get open looks from the perimeter. Four of Kentucky's top five scorers hit at least 38 percent on 3-pointers. The Wildcats just took out a No. 1 seed (Ohio State) and No. 2 seed (North Carolina), and here they'll dispatch a No. 3 seed.
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