The stage has been set for the 2024 NCAA Men’s Final Four in Glendale Arizona. It feels like just yesterday we had 68 teams, but a winner will be crowned shortly, with the Championship game scheduled for Monday April 8th. Both final four matchups will take place two days prior on Saturday April 8th at State Farm Stadium. No.1 seed Perdue will be taking on No.11 seed North Carolina at 6:09 pm ET, followed by another No.1 seed Connecticut taking on No.4 seed Alabama at 8:49 pm ET. 

Thanks to an unlikely run by the Wolfpack as the No.11, reaching the final four for the first time since 1983, only 297 people correctly predicted this exact final four in their March Madness brackets. Correct final four predictions traditionally come in at under 1000 brackets, with this been a fifth highest total over the past ten years. 2024 was certainly more predictable than last season where March ‘Madness’ truly lived up to its title. Just six people in the world correctly predicted the final four in their bracket with no No. 1,2, or 3 seed teams reaching the final four and no No.1 seed teams reaching the final eight. 

The Huskies are looking for their third championship in the past decade, and to become the first repeat champions since Florida in 2006-07. UConn’s dominance has been the highlight of the event, outscoring opponents by an average of 27, with their closest matchup being a 17-point differential against Northwestern. Illinois looked to finally be giving the juggernaut a run for their money in their final eight matchup, before the Huskies opened the second half with a 30-0 run. Tristian Newton is the team’s leading scorer and ranked as the fourth best player heading into the tournament per Bleacher Report, while Stephon Castle and Donovan Clingan are projected first round picks in the upcoming NBA draft. They are the odds-on favourites to win the tournament, and not much has changed from their opening odds of -185.

After numerous close calls and heartbreaks, the Boilermakers are making their first final four appearance since 1980, and they have a great chance to bring home their first title in school history with not much line movement from their opening odds of +190. Helping their chances is Zach Edey who leads the nation in scoring and is averaging 12.2 rebounds a game. The 7’ 4” 300 lbs senior is coming off a 40-point performance against No.2 seed Tennessee and has recorded at least 14 rebounds and 23 points in each of his teams four games. His performance should make him a first rounder in this year’s draft, but standing in his way of an NCAA finals appearance is DJ Burns Jr. and the NC State Wolfpack who are coming off consecutive upsets against Marquette and most recently Duke. Burns Jr. scored 29 points against the Blue Devils, keeping his teams hopes for a third championship in school history alive. 

This will be the first final four in program history for Alabama after narrowly upsetting No.1 seed North Carolina 89-87, and following that up with another close win, 89-82 over Clemson. The team’s top player Mark Sears ranks within the top 10 of average points in the nation, and he has not disappointed this tournament averaging 24 points in the teams four games. Grant Neilson stepped up for the Crimson Tide when it mattered most becoming the first player with at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks in a round of 16 game since Kevin Love in 2008. 

If you are looking to bet on the final four action this weekend, make sure to check out the best march madness betting sites your country has to offer. You can bet on the money line, point spread, over/under, place individual player props, or place futures on tournament award winners. UConn is the odds-on favourite and has four of the top five players in the Most Outstanding Player (MOP) awards odds, but they will likely have to get passed Zach Edgy who is the favourite for the award at +200. No.1 seeds win the tournament 59.1% of the time and 13 teams have repeated as national champions. If Edgy were to win MOP without his team taking home the title, he would be just the 13th player in history to do so.