In one of the most thrilling and electrifying NCAA men’s college basketball tournaments over the last 25 years, only four teams remain and the 2023 Final Four is set. UConn is DraftKings’ favored choice to win the “March Madness” championship at -125 odds, and the Huskies are ahead of San Diego State at +380, Miami at +475, and Florida Atlantic (FAU) at +650.
UConn guard Jordan Hawkins celebrates a win against Gonzaga in the 2023 March Madness regional final at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. (Image: USA Today Sports)
The four regional victors are headed to Houston, Texas this weekend for the Final Four festivities. The semi-finals are scheduled for Saturday, and the national championship game takes place on Monday night.
The San Diego State Aztecs won the South Regional with the #5 seed, and the FAU Owls won the East Regional as the #9 seed. San Diego State opened as a -1.5 favorite against FAU, but the line is currently -2.
The UConn Huskies won the West Regional as the #4 seed, and the Miami Hurricanes won the Midwest Regional as the #5 seed. UConn opened the Final Four as a -5.5 favorite over Miami.
This was an uncommon year in March Madness since a #12 seed did not upset a #5 seed in the opening round. Since 1985, the #12 seed pulls off a first-round upset 36% of the time. All four #5 seeds advanced to the second round, including Miami and San Diego State.
UConn -125
UConn completed the regular season with a 24-7 record, and they went 13-7 in the challenging Big East. They were ranked #10 in the AP Poll at the end of the season, but were knocked out of the Big East conference tournament in the semi-finals.
UConn earned the #4 seed in the West Regional as an at-large team, and DraftKings opened the Huskies at +1600 odds to win March Madness.
Regardless of less than pleasant hotel accommodations in Las Vegas , UConn held off Rick Pitino and #13 Iona with a 24-point victory in the first round. UConn squared off against #4 St. Mary’s in the second round, and advanced with a 15-point victory. In the Sweet 16, UConn defeated #8 Arkansas by 23 points. In the Elite 8, UConn blew out #3 Gonzaga by 28 points.
UConn achieved an impressive feat and won all four games in March Madness by double digits, including the rout against Gonzaga to advance to the Final Four.
UConn was one of the top betting teams in the NCAA this season. They were ranked third overall with a 25-11-1 record against the spread. They covered all four games in March Madness, and they have a 9-1 ATS record in their last ten games.
UConn enters the Final Four as the consensus best team remaining, which is why they’re also the betting favorite at -125 odds to win March Madness.
At the start of the Sweet 16, UConn was +900 odds to win the championship, and improved to +900 in the Sweet 16, and +320 odds in the Elite 8.
San Diego State +380
San Diego State concluded the regular season with a 24-6 record, and they were ranked #18 according to the AP Poll. The Aztecs led the Mountain West with a 15-3 record, and ran the table to win their conference tournament. Heading into March Madness, they were awarded the #5 seed in the South Regional.
Mountain West teams had difficulty in March Madness in recent years with an 0-9 record in the opening round heading into this year’s tournament. San Diego State got their entire conference off the hook with a six-point victory against #12 Charleston, and avoided a #12 vs. #5 upset.
In the second round, San Diego State blew out #13 Furman with a 23-point win. In the Sweet 16, San Diego State astounded #1 Alabama with a seven-point victory. Their march to the Final Four continued after San Diego State edged out #6 Creighton in a one-point thriller in the Elite 8.
At the start of March Madness, San Diego State were +6000 odds to win the championship. Their odds gradually improved to +3500 in the Sweet 16, and +900 in the Elite 8. You can back San Diego State right now at +380 odds to win March Madness as the second favorite on the board behind UConn.
San Diego State struggled to cover the spread this season with a 19-
