Predicting the Final Four in College Basketball

    March Madness is one of the more fun times on the sports calendar for the entire year as we get a single-elimination tournament of 64 of the top Division 1 basketball programs in the nation. Today, we are going to look at which teams should be locks to make the Final Four with the odds provided by BetUS. Remember that the odds are going to vary depending on the sportsbook you are using and the time in which you place your bets, especially as the season is going on and we do not have the actual bracket. 

    There is going to be a bevy of people discussing March Madness odds and make sure to bet responsibly and prepare for upsets in this tournament as it doesn’t matter about what seed you are, but how you are playing at the time of a tournament. 

    Gonzaga Bulldogs (-105)

    I’m ready to go out on a limb and say that the team that lost in the National Championship Game last season and is currently the top-ranked team in the entire nation is going to end up as one of the last four teams standing. In fact, they are the only program that is currently a favorite. They are 4-2 against ranked opponents this season and 22-2 overall as they have only lost to Duke and Alabama this season, which will likely not be seeded inside of their region. 

    Junior forward Drew Timme has been a monster for the program this season as he is averaging 17.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 0.9 blocks on 60.2 percent shooting this season. They have a star player, a head coach with experience, and a team that is hungry. They should be a favorite to win it all but at least make the Final Four.

    UCLA Bruins (+400) 

    The Bruins are one of the tougher teams to see on the opposing side in the nation as UCLA is currently 17-5 (9-4) and are the 13th-ranked program in the nation. They have two wins against top-five programs this season as they defeated Villanova early in the season and Arizona. The Pac-12 is doing well as a whole and will have a few teams on the bubble but they are 1-3 in their last four games as of this writing and they are struggling now before the conference tournament kicks off. 

    Junior guard Johnny Juzang has been doing incredibly well scoring the ball as he is averaging 17.8 points with 44.4 percent from the field, 37.1 percent from the three-point line, and 85.7 percent from the free-throw line. UCLA made the Final Four last season and should be there once again. 

    Auburn Tigers (+200)

    The Auburn Tigers are currently sitting as the second-ranked program in the entire nation as we are approaching the end of the regular season and are getting into the conference championship tournaments. The Tigers have been the best team in the Big 12 Conference and only lost early to the UConn Huskies and a road game against the Arkansas Razorbacks. However, they are able to score as they are averaging 80.5 points per game and rebounding incredibly well as they are grabbing 40.7 rebounds thus far. Auburn has only made the Final Four once in their 10 times appearing in the March Madness bracket.  

    Freshman forward Jabari Smith has been playing extremely well as he is doing his job to the fullest extent as he is playing 27.7 minutes and is averaging 15.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, one block, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 43.8 percent throughout the season, 41.9 percent from beyond the arc, and 78.5 percent from the charity stripe. The Auburn Tigers can be slept on as they do not have some great past, but they should appear as one of the last four teams standing.