After 64 games of the men’s 2024 NCAA Tournament, the Final Four is set for Saturday night in Glendale, Arizona. This year’s national semifinals feature the underdog (No. 11 NC State), the bounce-back team (No. 1 Purdue after it lost to a 16-seed last year), the favorite (No. 1 UConn) and the football school (No. 4 Alabama). Our experts are here to make their picks for both matchups.
Saturday’s doubleheader starts with Purdue playing NC State. The Boilermakers are almost a double-digit favorite in this one. Sure, NC State is still a No. 11 seed, but the Wolfpack shouldn’t be doubted at this point in their run. First, they won five games in five days to win the ACC Tournament, and now they’ve won four straight games in the NCAA Tournament.
UConn — the defending national champion — hasn’t faced a tough game yet in this NCAA Tournament. Its closest game was a 17-point win against Northwestern in the second round, and that game never was close, as the Huskies led 40-18 at halftime. The Crimson Tide have played some close games in this NCAA Tournament, including a 7-point win against Clemson in the regional final. They also upset No. 1 UNC 89-87. Mark Sears continues to be the star for Alabama in the tournament averaging more than 24 points per game and playing nearly every minute in close games.
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Before we dive into the odds and picks for each game, it’s time for transparency. Here’s how each of our expert pickers has done so far this tournament:
Odds are from BetMGM and update live. You can buy tickets to any tournament game here.
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Alabama Crimson Tide at Connecticut Huskies
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(Photo of DJ Burns and NC State teammates: Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)
