The NCAA Dance Hall is all but empty with the exception of two final partners, Butler and Connecticut. Monday night (9 PM ET) at Reliant Stadium in Houston, it will be Bulldogs and Huskies fighting for the 2011 Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament Championship.
Only moments following Saturday's semifinals action, oddsmakers at sports shops across both Las Vegas and offshore sports betting scenes were hard at work posting odds for Monday's championship game. Early NCAA Basketball Odds show the Huskies installed as 3 1/2-chalk favorites versus the Bulldogs with a posted total of 129 points. Butler backers are getting +155 odds on the offshore moneyline while the ML price on UCOnn is -175.
How are people betting? It's almost down the middle in side betting with Butler getting a razor thin 51% majority of ATS action to 49% for UConn. Backers are leaning heavier on the Bulldogs to win SU with 65% of ML action. In totals wagering, 64% of action is on the game total to go OVER the posted 129.
Butler (28-9 SU) and Connecticut (31-9 SU) have similar records covering the betting spreads. UConn is a little better going 22-12-0 ATS while the Bulldogs ATS record is 20-13-2.
The Bulldogs were the first to advance to the championship game as 70-62 winners versus Virginia Commonwealth in the championship semifinals on Saturday. With the eight-point SU win, Butler covered as 3 1/2-chalk favorites. The Huskies were 56-55 SU victors over Kentucky in the other semifinal game and covering ATS as +3 1/2-point dogs.
Making my College Basketball Picks in this one is like flipping a coin. It's hard to find a distinct edge either way. Kemba Walker has been playing insane basketball keeping the Huskies alive and as have Butler greats Gordon Hayward, Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard.
Connecticut earned its berth in the NCAA Tournament by winning five games in five days to take the Big East Tournament. The Huskies then beat a 14 seed in Bucknell, a six seed in Cincinnati, a two seed in San Diego State, and a five seed in Arizona to make it to the Final Four for the second time in the last three seasons. Then toppled a 4-seed in Kentucky to get to the Championship Game.
Butler earned its invitation to the Big Dance by winning the Horizon League Tournament. The Bulldogs then defeated tournament favorite Old Dominion, top-seeded Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, and Florida to reach the Final Four for the second straight season.
My early pick is Butler because I think they have more weapons from all points on the court. This team is no longer a mid-major or Cinderella. This is a great college basketball team. NCAA Basketball Picks BEST BET – Butler +3 1/2.
