Sports Writer
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The stage is set. The Final Four have earned their way to the 2023 March Madness semifinals, and the hype surrounding this unlikely group has reached a fever pitch.
The UConn Huskies emerge as a contender to take home the Championship this year. They’re the highest-ranked remaining team, a 4-seed that has put to rest the dreams of four NCAA hopefuls.
In the Final Four, the UConn Huskies now face the University of Miami Florida Hurricanes, a 5-seed that has taken down its fair share of high-seeded teams.
UConn is favored to win this match-up by a fair stretch. Here’s a look at the odds from FanDuel and BetMGM.
FanDuel:
BetMGM:
As you can see, the odds are nearly identical. FanDuel gives a slightly better value on Uconn’s moneyline: a $240 bet would pay $100, while BetMGM would require a $250 bet for the same payout.
The real story is that UConn is expected to take the victory by these sportsbooks (plus many others we haven’t listed here). Looking at the Huskies’ tournament performance so far, it’s not much of a surprise to see them favored in this Final Four game.
By some measures, this tournament is UConn’s to lose. The Huskies have been dominant in their run through the bracket.
In round one, the Huskies met with the Iona Gaels. It wasn’t close. UConn closed the door on Iona’s March Madness hopes—better yet, they slammed the door so hard it shook the hinges. The Huskies beat the Gaels 87-63.
Who did the Huskies meet next? More Gaels, this time of Saint Mary’s College. UConn put up 70 points—its lowest score of the tournament through the Elite Eight, I might add—and still beat Saint Mary’s by a margin of 15.
Arkansas was next. The Razorbacks had momentum, hot off a trouncing of Illinois in round one and a single-point victory over the 1-seed Kansas Jayhawks in round two. That momentum did little good against UConn’s consistent play and strong offense. The Huskies laid the beatdown on the Razorbacks, soaring to the Elite Eight in a 23-point victory, 88-65.
By all counts, UConn’s Elite Eight meeting with the Gonzaga Bulldogs shaped up to be a nailbiter. Not so. Gonzaga put up a paltry 54 points against the Huskies’ 82. UConn marched to a 28-point win and an easy slot in the Final Four.
If I was a betting man (who am I kidding, I write betting previews!), I'd put my money on UConn not only to win against Miami, but to take the entire Championship. The Huskies have proven themselves nigh-unstoppable this year, and all that’s left is a pair of wins to seal the deal.
Jordan Hawkins is one of UConn’s biggest scoring threats. He scored 20 points and snagged six rebounds in the Gonzaga game. Against Arkansas, Hawkins scored 24 points (more than 25% of the Huskies’ total points).
Adama Sanogo adds to the Hawkins threat with a strong all-around offensive showing. Against Gonzaga, Sanogo scored 10 points, earned 10 rebounds, and logged six assists. In the Arkansas game, Sanogo scored 18 points with eight rebounds and one assist.
Completing the UConn offensive trio to watch is Alex Karaban: 11 points, seven rebounds against Arkansas, and 12 points against Gonzaga.
Connecticut’s bench is fairly deep as well, offering scorers well beyond the starting five.
Sure, there are players to watch on UConn. But in reality, the team is worth watching. They’re on a historic run with some high-scoring games, and I expect the Huskies to continue their steamrolling of March madness right up to the very end.
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