As wonderful as the NCAA Tournament is, it’s almost over just as quickly as it arrived. The Final Four is set, and while two No. 1 seeds remain — Gonzaga and Baylor — a Cinderella still stands among them. No. 11 UCLA has gone from the First Four, and nearly being knocked out by Michigan State, to making the program’s 19th Final Four.
The Bruins will face their biggest challenge yet against No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga. The Bulldogs are a 14-point favorite, per William Hill Sportsbook. That makes UCLA the biggest Final Four underdog since tournament expansion in 1985. Gonzaga, meanwhile, is two wins away from being just the eighth team to go undefeated and win the tourney, and the first since Indiana in 1976. All but one of Gonzaga’s wins this season has been by double digits, so it’s not surprising to see Mark Few’s team once again be sizable favorites.
Meanwhile, No. 1 seed Baylor is a five-point favorite over No. 2 seed Houston in the first National Semifinal. The Bears have met little resistance on their path to reaching a third Final Four in program history and first since 1950. The Cougars, on the other hand, have quietly been among the best teams in the sport this season in their effort to reach the Final Four for the first time since the 1980s.
Here are the lines, per William Hill Sportsbook:
- No. 11 UCLA vs. No. 1 Gonzaga (-14)
- No. 2 Houston vs. No. 1 Baylor (-5)
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