posted April 1, 2009 at 11:15 EST in NCAA B Free Picks
Final Four: Upsets Might Rule in Semi-Finals Game-day 4/4/2009
The Final Four is set with Michigan State taking on Connecticut and Villanova taking on North Carolina.
Connecticut and North Carolina were supposed to make the Final Four while Michigan State and Villanova were considered underdogs coming out of their regions. BetUS Sportsbook has released odds on both games and there’s no reason not to take a look!
Let’s analyze the semi-final games for the 2009 national championship.
Michigan State Spartans vs. Connecticut Huskies
Tip-off: 6:07 pm est.
Spread: Connecticut -4 BetUS
Total: 133 ½
Analysis: The Connecticut Huskies were sensational in all four of their games in the NCCA Tournament before the Final Four. They beat up on everybody they faced and look to do the same to the Michigan State Spartans who had to fight tooth and nail against Kansas and USC before beating Louisville. Of course, because they had to play USC, the Pac-10 Tournament Champions, Kansas, the Big 12 Regular Season Champs, and Louisville, the Big East Regular Season and Tournament Champions, the Spartans are battle tested while Connecticut, who marched all over Texas A&M, Purdue, and Missouri to get here, got to rest up against weak opponents. State is ready to roll. Tom Izzo has his team playing better than anybody in the tournament and point guard Kalin Lucas refuses to lose. Hasheem Thabeet, UConn’s top player, will be tough in the paint but Lucas should control things from the perimeter. I like Michigan State against the spread in this game.
Pick: Michigan State +4
Villanova Wildcats vs. North Carolina Tar Heels
Tip-off: 8:47 pm est.
Spread: North Carolina -7 BetUS
Total: 159
Analysis: North Carolina is a huge favorite to take down the Villanova Wildcats but they weren’t that big of a favorite earlier on Monday morning when the initial line came out at NC -4 ½. The line has shifted 2 ½ points since then because North Carolina is getting dumped on in the sportsbook. Are they really that good? On paper, they are, but they got to beat Gonzaga and Oklahoma, which was basically Blake Griffin and four high school players, while ‘Nova dominated Duke and then took down rival Pittsburgh. The Wildcats are loaded with Dante Cunningham and Scottie Reynolds both playing like NBA stars in this tournament. I see this game being closer than the 7 points even though picking Villanova against the money line is just too tough to do. I’ll take Villanova as an upset against the spread versus the intimidating North Carolina Tar Heels.
Pick: Villanova Wildcats +7
