Final Four 2021 gambling recap: Point spreads, moneylines, more
Was the Final Four playing favorites?
All season long, the Baylor Bears and Gonzaga Bulldogs were seen as head and shoulders above the rest of college basketball. In fact, those two elite squads were the preseason betting favorites to win it all.
And come the final Saturday of the season, not much had changed. Baylor and Gonzaga entered their Final Four matchups as big favorites – with one certainly bigger than the other – to advance to their seemingly inevitable collision.
One team took care of business with ease. The other needed every last second to make its way to the final game.
To help you keep track of all the madness of the NCAA Tournament, here are the point spreads, moneylines and total over/unders for both of the Final Four games, as well as the results for each and the tournament-wide betting trends.
TRENDS THROUGH FIRST 61 GAMES PLAYED*
Point spread: Favorites are 31-29 against the spread, with one "pick 'em" (the spread was 0).
Moneyline: Favorites are 39-18 outright, with one "pick 'em" and three games not on the board.
Total over/under: 35 games have gone "Under" the scoring total, 25 games have gone "Over," and there has been one "Push" (the final score landed exactly on the over/under).
*VCU vs. Oregon in the first round was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols, with Oregon advancing.
No. 1 Baylor 78, No. 2 Houston 59
Point spread: Baylor (-5 at FOX Bet) covered by winning by more than 5 points (19).
Moneylines: Baylor (-250 at FOX Bet) won outright; a $10 bet on Baylor would have won $4, plus your $10 back. Houston was a +170 underdog (bet $10 to win $17, plus your $10 back).
Total scoring over/under: Over 135 total points scored (137 combined points)
Baylor held up its end of the bargain, soundly defeating a Houston squad that had been an underdog only once previously this season (in a game the Cougars covered, naturally).
Five Bears scored in double figures, and Houston's Marcus Sasser led all scorers with 20 points on 7-for-14 shooting, including 5-for-9 on 3s.
No. 1 Gonzaga 93, No. 11 UCLA 90
Point spread: UCLA (+14 at FOX Bet) covered by losing by fewer than 14 points (2).
Moneylines: Gonzaga (-1400 at FOX Bet) won outright; a $10 bet on Gonzaga to win outright would have won $0.71, plus your $10 back. UCLA was a +700 underdog (bet $10 to win $70, plus your $10 back).
Total scoring over/under: Over 146.5 total points scored (178)
If you missed this one, you're going to need to study up on quantum physics, build yourself a time machine and go back to rectify your mistake.
Jalen Suggs came up with a massive block and assist near the end of regulation, then hit an absurd game-winner in overtime to put an end to UCLA's dream run through the tournament.
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