It is a sad and exciting time for college basketball fans everywhere. Sad because the season is almost over, but exciting because we have two great Final Four matchups in the Final Four: Michigan versus Arizona and UConn versus Illinois. Even better, is that we are sharing with you our top NCAA Tournament Final Four PrizePicks predictions.
Saturday’s Best NCAA Tournament Final Four PrizePicks Predictions
No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini vs. No. 2 UConn Huskies
I see a lot of analysts online talking about this game as if it’s a foregone conclusion that Illinois is going to win because they are better from the line than UConn, have more playmakers and are just all-around better shooters than the Huskies. If you look at the stats, they don’t lie. However, games like this are not decided according to who has the better stat line.
It is a sad and exciting time for college basketball fans everywhere. Sad because the season is almost over, but exciting because we have two great Final Four matchups in the Final Four: Michigan versus Arizona and UConn versus Illinois. Even better, is that we are sharing with you our top NCAA Tournament Final Four PrizePicks predictions.
Saturday’s Best NCAA Tournament Final Four PrizePicks Predictions
No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini vs. No. 2 UConn Huskies
I see a lot of analysts online talking about this game as if it’s a foregone conclusion that Illinois is going to win because they are better from the line than UConn, have more playmakers and are just all-around better shooters than the Huskies. If you look at the stats, they don’t lie. However, games like this are not decided according to who has the better stat line.
Stat lines don't really take into consideration what UConn has going for it - big game experience. They were just in the Final Four two years ago, and won it all in 2023. I reference that because I am not so sure Illinois will win, nor can I make a foolproof case for UConn winning. That's why I'm going to play the total.
UConn's totals for all four tournament games were between 134.5 and 136.5 points. For Illinois, there was more variance (between 138.5 and 140.5 points), but the more than was 1-3 and the less than hit in each of the last three games (150.5, 141.5 and 138.5). I see this game as being similar to Illinois versus Iowa. The Hawkeyes were a capable offensive team, like the Huskies, but were known for their defense.
Now, I don't think the Illini will command this game quite like they did that one. But the outcome will be similar. The score won’t get too high; it will be relatively low. And I don’t think we will see this game exceed 139.5 points.
PrizePicks Prediction: Less Than 139.5 Points (1.88X Payout)
No. 1 Michigan Wolverines vs. No. 1 Arizona Wildcats
The spread is just 1.5 points, meaning either team has a great shot at winning this game. The Wolverines’ offense has been getting a lot of credit, and it is very good, but so is Arizona's defense. Both teams have been playing well on both ends of the court throughout the tournament and are neck and neck in efficiency. Arizona ranks one spot higher on offense, and Michigan one spot higher on defense.
The deciding factor is recent common opponents. Purdue beat the Wolverines 80-72 in the Big Ten Tournament Championship, while Arizona just beat Purdue 79-64 in the Elite 8. I'm taking Arizona to win.
PrizePicks Prediction: Arizona to Win (1.96X Payout)
