Following two wild weekends of NCAA Tournament action, the 2023 Final Four field is set. The field of 68 has been reduced to four. The group features a traditional power in No. 4 seed Connecticut with a surprise participant in No. 9 seed Florida Atlantic. Also, there are two strong but underrated programs in No. 5 seed San Diego State and No. 5 seed Miami. Only UConn has won a previous March Madness betting national title. Of course, only one of these teams gets to cut down the nets on Monday night as national champions.
2023 Final Four – What to Watch
When: Saturday, April 1, 2023
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
TV: CBS
CashBet Odds: Connecticut -125, San Diego State +390, Miami +500, FAU +600
2023 Final Four CashBet Wagering Analysis
Saturday’s first game will be just the second Men’s Final Four matchup ever between non-major conference opponents. Specifically, San Diego State and FAU square off for a spot in the title game. The Aztecs won the Mountain West regular season and conference tournament titles. In comparison, the Owls emerged as the regular season and tournament champions of Conference USA.
The second matchup of Saturday’s slate will pit the nation’s hottest top online sportsbook team, UConn, against Miami. In turn, the Huskies seek their fifth title of the past 24 NCAA Tournaments. The Huskies won it all in 1999, 2004, and 2011 under Jim Calhoun, then in 2014 under Kevin Ollie. Now, coach Dan Hurley is looking to join those storied teams in his fifth season on the job. Standing in the Huskies’ way are the Hurricanes. Correlate that Miami is making their first-ever Final Four appearance under 73-year-old coach Jim Larranaga.
Getting to Know the Unknown Owls
FAU was picked to finish fifth in the Conference USA preseason poll. But the Owls defied 2023 March Madness betting expectations by winning the league’s regular season and tournament titles. The Owls have taken form under fifth-year coach Dusty May. Previously, FAU finished above .500 in May’s first four seasons but never reached 20 wins. Now, the Owls are headed to the Final Four. Consider they will end the season with more wins than any other team nationally.
FAU scored 2023 March Madness betting wins over No. 8 seed Memphis, No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson, No. 4 seed Tennessee and No. 3 seed Kansas State. Additionally, FAU is a great 3-point shooting team.
Although the Owls like to play fast, they also defend well. Most important of all to FAU is its depth. FAU is among the national leaders in bench minutes. No one averages more than 26 minutes per game. Additionally, nine players average at least 15 minutes per contest. That allows FAU to keep its 2023 March Madness Betting offensive tempo and defensive intensity high throughout the game.
UConn Braces for a Hurricane
It is true Miami is undersized, but the Hurricanes don’t care. The Hurricanes have elite guards and a dynamic small-ball big man in Norchad Omier. Consider that Omier is 6-foot-7 but rebounds as though he’s 7-foot-1. He’s among four Miami players averaging 13 or more points per game. Additionally, Isaiah Wong is the leading scorer and a familiar face in his fourth season as a key player for the ‘Canes.
Also, Jordan Miller and Nijel Pack are dangerous offensive weapons. In turn, they make it difficult for opposing defenses to shut everyone down simultaneously. Before edging No. 2 seed Texas in the Elite Eight on Sunday, Miami knocked out No. 12 seed Drake, No. 4 seed Indiana, and No. 1 seed Houston. Of major concern is that slowing this team down is a tall order. Even for the best bet on NCAA basketball defenses.
At the onset, UConn started 14-1 and rose to No. 2 in the AP Top 25. However, a stretch of five losses in six games dropped them out of contention for a Big East title. Still, the Huskies have found their groove over the regular season’s final month and have turned it up since.
