March Madness betting guide: UConn, Texas new favorites

_{UConn head coach Dan Hurley, middle, celebrates with his team after the 82-54 win against Gonzaga of an Elite 8 college basketball game in the West Region final of the NCAA Tournament, Saturday, March 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)}

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The craziest March Madness will conclude with the unlikeliest Final Four on Saturday and April 3 in Houston. UConn is the highest remaining seed at No. 4, though to be fair, the Huskies are playing like a No. 1. They are the team to beat, but can anyone be sure of anything this year? Might as well flip a coin when betting this year’s NCAA Tournament.

WHO’S FAVORED TO WIN THE TITLE?

UConn is far and away the favorite, and the Huskies have been of the few things bettors can count on, winning all four tournament games by double digits. They are minus-125 favorites to cut down the nets April 3, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Someone would need to bet $125 to win $100. All the other teams are in the plus-range, thus better value picks — if you’re willing to take a chance against UConn.

WHO IS THE BIGGEST UNDERDOG?

Florida Atlantic is a plus-600, and Owls coach Dusty May joked his team would be picked fifth in the Final Four.

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST SPREAD DIFFERENCE?

UConn is favored by 5 1/2 points over Miami.

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST OVER/UNDER?

The UConn-Miami game is listed at 149 1/2.

BRACKETS

In the ESPN Bracket Challenge game, only 37 brackets of more than 20 million forecast this Final Four. Also, .4% of brackets had UConn meeting Miami in Saturday’s national semifinal, and the FAU-San Diego State matchup was on .04%. UConn was on 2.4% of brackets t win the national championship, followed by Miami at .5%, San Diego State at .3% and FAU at .1%. A miniscule .00005% of CBS Sports brackets had this Final Four. UConn was on 1.9% of brackets to win it all, followed by Miami at .4%, San Diego State at .15% and FAU at .04%

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Source: https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-betting-favorite-odds-149e49842f90412a306dcbd1f0279a6c