Final Four Preview

Remember the good ol’ days just last week, when I said my bracket was looking pretty nice ahead of the Sweet 16? Welp, let’s just say Jamal Shead’s ankle had other ideas…I should’ve just kept my dang mouth shut 😩

• But hey, I guess that’s what I get for trying to avoid what’s looked pretty inevitable all season long. Back in January I discussed how UConn and Purdue were in a tier of their own in the college basketball ranks…and as we gear up for Final Four action in Arizona tomorrow, the two powerhouses are now just a game away from a championship clash 🏆

I don’t want to get too ahead of myself; it is March Madness after all. Maybe Alabama or NC State has a little magic left in the tank. But as has been the case throughout the tournament, the top two overall seeds are pretty sizable favorites to advance. Let’s take a look 👇

📍 #11 NC State vs. #1 Purdue

• Spread: Purdue -9.5

• Moneyline: Purdue -450, NC State +340

• Over/Under: 146.5

• When: Saturday 6:09PM EST on TBS

If nothing else, tomorrow’s first Final Four game will give us one of the most anticipated one-on-one matchups we’ve seen yet; soon-to-be 2x POTY Zach Edey against tournament fan-favorite DJ Burns 🍿

Burns, fresh off a 29-point showing against Duke, isn’t looking to get any potential football career started just yet. And he sounds more than ready to go toe-to-toe with Edey tomorrow. But good luck to the big fella on that front…he’ll certainly need it 😬

• This is hardly groundbreaking news, but Edey isn’t a guy you can stop; you can only hope to slow him down. And so far this tournament, it’s safe to say teams haven’t been doing a very good job of that

• Through four games, he’s averaging an absurd 30 PPG and 16.3 RPG, including an absolute masterclass in Sunday’s Elite 8 win over a very dangerous Tennessee team 😤

NC State’s Cinderella run over the past month has been nothing short of electric; the Wolfpack has now rattled off nine straight victories in win-or-go-home games…

…and you can count me among those rooting for a tenth. But Edey and the Boilermakers are undoubtedly their toughest test yet 👀

📍 #4 Alabama vs. #1 UConn

• Spread: UConn -11.5

• Moneyline: UConn -780, Alabama +530

• Over/Under: 161.5

• When: Saturday 8:49PM EST on TBS

It’s not often you see a double-digit favorite in the Final Four, but that’s just the kind of dominant run UConn has been on lately (despite the selection committee’s best efforts, according to Dan Hurley 😂)

• The Huskies have won their four tournament games by an average of 27.8 PPG (seriously, not an exaggeration), and they hardly even know what it’s like to not have the lead 🤯

With less than two minutes to go in the first half of UConn’s Elite 8 game, they were knotted up at 23 apiece with Illinois, who also looked like one of best teams in the field. So of course, the Huskies then proceeded to go on one of the craziest runs you’ll ever see 😳

Dominance is the only word to describe it. Alabama looked quite impressive last weekend in victories over UNC and Clemson, and if it weren’t for Edey, Mark Sears might be the current frontrunner for the tournament’s MOP 🏹

…but with respect to the Crimson Tide, there’s just no way I’m picking against the Huskies right now 😤

Trivia Question: DJ Burns may be shooting down NFL rumors, but which current NFL player has NCAA Tournament experience?

For My Parlay Gurus

Can NC State continue to recreate the magic from the Jimmy V title run back in 1983? Despite the parallels, I think this edition comes up just short, but I like the Wolfpack to at least keep it close Saturday night. UConn, on the other hand, hasn’t seen a close game in a while, and I expect them to continue that trend. Check out this parlay 👇

• NC State +9.5 vs. Purdue: -114

• UConn -11.5 vs. Alabama: -114

$100 on this bet would win you $252 — if we hit, make sure you email [email protected] for a chance to win an Overtime hoodie*. Many will enter, only some will win 😉

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Trivia Answer: Colts TE Mo Alie-Cox played four seasons at VCU, where he participated in the NCAA tournament every year

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