Final Four Betting Odds

The madness of March has spilled over into April with the Final Four showdowns this weekend in Indianapolis. College basketball betting doesn't get any bigger than the matchups between Butler and Michigan State, and West Virginia and Duke. Here's a look at Saturday's games: 

Michigan State Spartans vs. Butler Bulldogs (-1.5, 126) 

Not many people expected these No. 5 seeds to be facing each other in the last weekend of the NCAA Tournament - especially with Butler running into top seeds Kansas State and Syracuse and MSU losing its top player in the middle of the tournament.  

That unpredictable nature of the Big Dance has made a bundle for those bettors sharp enough to take these two teams against the college basketball pointspreads this March. Both Butler and Michigan State are 3-1 against the spread during the NCAA, with each team covering in their most recent outing. 

The Spartans clawed back against the Tennessee Volunteers in the second half of their Elite Eight showdown. Talented shooting guard Durrell Summers knocked down some big 3-point buckets and Draymond Green worked hard on the boards, setting up the dramatic final seconds of the game.  

Tennessee sent MSU forward Raymar Morgan to the foul line with just over one second remaining in the game, and he knocked down one free throw to give Spartans backers a 70-69 victory that covered the 2-point college basketball pointspread. 

Butler knocked off second-seeded KSU in the Elite Eight, winning 63-56 as a 3.5-point underdog. The Bulldogs’ defense tightened up, allowing the Wildcats to shoot just 39 percent from the floor including going 5-for-15 from beyond the arc. Butler also forced 13 turnovers and out-rebounded KSU 36-27. 

That defensive prowess has kept scores low for the Bulldogs. Opponents are scoring less than 60 points per game against the Horizon League champs, leading to three straight under finishes heading into the Final Four. On the year, Butler is 15-19 over/under and matches up against a Michigan State squad that is 16-19 over/under but has split overs and unders in the first four games of the tournament. 

West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Duke Blue Devils (-2.5, 131) 

Things went a little more according to plan on the other side of the bracket, where No. 1-seeded Duke takes on No. 2 seed West Virginia for a shot at the national crown. This is a terrific matchup of coaches as well, with Mike Krzyzewski making his first trip back to the Final Four since 2004 and Bob Huggins taking his alma mater to the Final Four in just his second year as head coach. 

Despite both teams getting high seeds, and the subsequent chalk that comes along with them, WVU and Duke have been extremely profitable for basketball bettors. They are a combined 8-0 against the college basketball pointspreads in March, with the Blue Devils playing the role of favorites in all four of their games and the Mountaineers being dogged only against top-seeded Kentucky in the Elite Eight. 

West Virginia proved experience is more potent than talent in their win over the Wildcats. The Mountaineers stayed poised against Kentucky's superstar roster, shooting better than 43 percent from beyond the arc and turning the ball over just 12 times following a 23-turnover night against Washington in the Sweet 16. Backup point guard Joe Mazzulla came up big in the absence of starter Darryl Bryant, scoring 17 points and handing out six assists.  

The Blue Devils also proved that experience is invaluable in their win against the Baylor Bears. Duke was outmatched by Baylor's athleticism and size, but was not discouraged by the numerous blocks and dunks the Bears threw at it. In the crunch, the Blue Devils kept their composure and buried two back-breaking 3-pointers in the final two minutes. Baylor could not recover, falling short as a live 4.5-point underdog.  

That 78-71 win was the only time Duke has played over the total in the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils limited their first three opponents to under 60 points while averaging just over 70 points in that span. West Virginia has also favored the under bettor, going below the total in three of its four games this year. The Mountaineers’ lone over finish was in the 73-66 win over Kentucky last weekend, which topped the 134-point betting total.