NCAA Final Four: Memphis vs. UCLA, Kansas vs. North Carolina, odds

NCAA Final Four: Memphis vs. UCLA, Kansas vs. North Carolina, odds We have reached the 2008 NCAA Tournament Final Four and the two Saturday games will decide which teams will meet at the end for the Tournament's final - Memphis, UCLA, Kansas or North Carolina. Although the 2008 March Madness wasn't short of surprises, the Final Four team lineup is anything but shocking so let's go ahead and look at the latest Final Four odds and team stats.

Starting with the first NCAA Tournament game on Saturday, the matchup between the Memphis Tigers and the UCLA Bruins. Memphis remains as one of the top two favorites to win the 2008 NCAA March Madness Tournament, listed with ante odds 27/10 at the online bookmaker BodogLife, while UCLA are underdog with odds to win the tournament at 16/5. It was only natural to see the Memphis Tigers listed as the favorite to win the Final Four game with odds -135 and UCLA, second in rebounds allowed in the league at 24.8, is holding dog odds on the game at +115. The point spread on the Memphis vs. UCLA game is currently sitting at -2.5 points chalk the Tigers at BodogLife, as well. Keep in mind that UCLA is 2-4 against the spread in its last 6 games and the total has gone OVER in 4 of Memphis's last 5 games. At Memphis Andre Allen is reported as day-to-day with shoulder injury, while at UCLA Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is also day-to-day and Michael Roll is out for the season. Among the punters at the online sportsbooks, Memphis is the favorite pick to win its Final Four game.

Moving on to the most bet on event this week, the Final Four game between the Kansas Jayhawks and the North Carolina Tar Heels. The bettors are having a field day picking North Carolina as the favorite team to win, despite the short odds (i.e. small payout) the team offers. At BodogLife the point spread on the Kansas vs. North Carolina game is posted at -4 points chalk the Tar Heels, who are favorite with odds -165, compared to the +145 betting line Kansas is holding for the Saturday's game. North Carolina remains the ultimate favorite to win the 2008 NCAA March Madness Tournament with odds 8/5, while Kansas is now underdog at the antepost with odds 3/1 to win the tournament.

Tough times for Kansas with guards Mario Chalmers, Sherron Collins and Rodrick Stewart all listed as day-to-day due to various problems, while North Carolina will play without Bobby Frasor, who is out for the season with knee injury. Keep in mind that Kansas is 4-1 against the spread in its last 5 games and North Carolina is 4-0-1 against the spread in its last 5 games. The total has gone OVER in 4 of North Carolina's last 5 games. Statistically, Kansas is third in the league in field goal percentage at 50.7 and allows the third least field goal percentage against in the league at 37.9. Meanwhile North Carolina is the second highest scoring team in the league at 89.2 points per game and leads the league in rebounds at 40.3.

Published on 04/04/2008