College basketball’s biggest night is almost here.
The Final Four, the exclamation point at the end of the NCAA Tournament, tips off on Saturday night.
Two Texas teams, Houston and Baylor meet first at 5:15 p.m. Then, two West Coast teams, UCLA and Gonzaga, meet in the nightcap at 8:34 p.m.
And those looking to get in on the action will have plenty of options at Pennsylvania sportsbooks. Both FanDuel and DraftKings are boosting odds for new users to help them snag some big returns on the big games.
DraftKings has been giving 100-1 odds for new players in a promotion that began during the Sweet 16. And FanDuel is giving new users 40-1 odds for a special promotion surrounding the Final Four. You can find all the details inside the PA sports betting apps.
But new users certainly won’t be the only ones betting on the Final Four. Let’s take a quick look at some of the Final Four odds to get everyone else ready for Saturday night’s games.
Baylor is the favorite in the Final Four’s “Battle of Texas”
In the early game, No. 1 Baylor is a 5-point favorite over No. 2 Houston according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The Bears are -215 on the moneyline, while the Cougars are +180. The game’s total is set at 134 points.
FanDuel also has other options available for the big games beyond the traditional spreads. Players can wager on alternate spreads and totals, as well as the first half-spread (Baylor -3), first-half moneyline (Baylor -196) and first-half total as well (62).
Those bets can provide more immediate returns than the end-of-game lines. You can also expect several live betting options as the games progress.
Oddsmakers expect UCLA’s improbable run to end Saturday
In the late game, Gonzaga, the tournament’s top seed, will face a pesky UCLA squad that has survived as a No. 11 seed. The Bruins were on the ropes in a First Four game with Michigan State, but have since managed a Final Four run. As noted in a recent tweet from ESPN, the Bruins are the first team since VCU in 2011 to advance all the way from the First Four to the Final Four.
FanDuel has Gonzaga listed as a healthy 14-point favorite with a moneyline price of -1100. UCLA’s moneyline is +700. And the game’s over/under is listed at 145.5. First/second-half wagers and alternate lines will also be available for this contest.
Futures odds are live for all the Final Four teams
One other way to get into Saturday’s action is to place a futures wager on one of the four remaining teams. Futures prices for each team to win the NCAA Tournament are as follows:
- Gonzaga: -190
- Baylor: +260
- Houston: +800
- UCLA: +2700
A win by your chosen team on Saturday sets you up for a possible hedge on the national title game Monday. Odds for that contest should be posted early Sunday.
But first up are the national semifinals, or as most people know it, the Final Four.
A tournament that has been held exclusively in Indiana, with a number of surprising upsets, is nearing its next chapter.
A team from Texas will make the final. So will another one from the West Coast. But how exactly they get there is anyone’s guess.
We’ll have to watch and see.
But the wait won’t be long.
Because college basketball’s biggest night is almost here.
Lead image credit: AP Photo/Darron Cummings
