A big favorite versus a big underdog, plus a Texas showdown give bettors some interesting options for the Final Four.
Houston (28-3) makes its first trip to the Final Four since 1984 after a 67-61 win over Oregon State in the Midwest Region final. They’ll face the the South’s No. 1 seed Baylor (26-2) for a spot in the national championship game.
The Bears defeated No. 3 seed Arkansas 81-72 to reach the Final Four.
In Saturday’s second game, season-long favorite and West top-seed Gonzaga (30-0) will face a UCLA team (22-9) that was one of the last four teams to receive an at-large NCAA Tournament berth.
The 11th-seeded Bruins upset top seed Michigan 51-49 to win the East Region. Gonzaga beat No. 6 seed USC 85-56 in the Elite Eight. The Zags are trying to complete the first undefeated season since Indiana accomplished the feat in 1976.
Saturday’s tip times are 4:14 p.m. for Baylor-Houston and 7:34 p.m. for Gonzaga-UCLA.
The national championship will tip off at 8 p.m. Monday from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
DraftKings Sportsbook has a “Bet $1 to Win $100” offer for first-time users. The promotion is open until the tipoff of the championship game on Monday. Be sure to review all the terms and conditions.
Final Four betting odds
Futures market likes the Zags
Gonzaga is a heavy favorite to get past UCLA. Sportsbooks in Iowa like the Bulldogs to come out on top Monday night as well:
| Team | DraftKings / BetRivers | William Hill | FanDuel | BetMGM | Betfred | PointsBet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gonzaga | -200 | -220 | -190 | -225 | -250 | -225 |
| Baylor | +275 | +280 | +260 | +375 | +240 | +250 |
| Houston | +750 | +850 | +800 | +600 | +600 | +600 |
| UCLA | +3000 | +2000 | +2700 | +2500 | +1800 | +2000 |
The Bulldogs enter the Final Four with an NCAA-best 34-game winning streak dating back to last year. They’ve also set a NCAA record with 27 consecutive double-digit wins. After the Elite Eight win, coach Mark Few said:
“Everyone wants us to keep moving forward, but that’s not how we roll. This is a heck of an accomplishment. We’re going to take it and savor it for what it is. That doesn’t lessen our desire to win this game, the next game or win two more games.”
FanDuel on Wednesday said Gonzaga is collecting 68% of the bets and 85% of the money to cover the spread versus UCLA. Baylor is getting 79% of the bets and 85% of the money to cover the spread versus Houston.
PointsBet offers ‘bad beats’ do-over once March Madness ends
PointsBet has a Karma Kommittee to refund customers who suffered a bad beat during March college basketball.
After the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament, the sportsbook invites its bettors to send in a bad beat involving games between March 18 and the conclusion of the national championship game. The “Kommittee” will refund up to $50 in bonus bets. Be sure to check terms and conditions.
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