Final Four: #4 Alabama vs #1 UConn Odds, and Picks (Apr 6)

• Alabama held off Clemson on Saturday, winning 89-82, and advancing to the Final Four.
• UConn fully dominated their opponent once again, pounding Illinois by a score of 77-52.
• These two teams last faced off on November 25, 2022, in a game that UConn won 82-67.

The NCAA Tournament has reached the Final Four! Let’s take a look at this exciting matchup between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the UConn Huskies. Alabama is seeking to make the title game for the first time, while UConn aims to repeat as champions.

How to Watch

• TBS

Preview

Alabama claimed their first Final Four appearance in program history following their rivalry win over Clemson. The Crimson Tide once again relied on their offense, with five different players reaching double figures in scoring. Mark Sears hit seven 3-pointers en route to 23 points, leading the team. Alabama also got a notable impact off the bench from Freshman Jarin Stevenson, who racked up 19 points of his own on 7-11 shooting. The Crimson Tide will be tested on both sides of the ball against UConn.

UConn certainly looks like the favorite to repeat as tournament champions. In the ten tournament games they played between last year and this one, the Huskies have won every single one by at least 13 points. The latest in their chain of blowouts was a 25-point thrashing of the very capable Illinois Fighting Illini. UConn’s defense wasn’t threatened in the slightest, while remaining equally dominant on offense. They’ll be putting their defense to the test against another top-scoring team in Alabama here.

Prediction

So far, there haven’t been any teams remotely capable of slowing down UConn. San Diego State’s defense and Illinois’ offense weren’t nearly enough, with the Huskies dominance on both sides of the ball. While Alabama boasts a scorching offense similar to UConn and Illinois, their sub-100 defense is a major concern. Unless the Huskies are missing open shots, I struggle to imagine them reaching less than 90 points against the Crimson Tide’s defense. I expect another double-digit UConn victory in this one.

NCAAB Picks:

• UConn 94, Alabama 82 (CONN -11.5)