No team in college basketball has repeated as national champion since Florida in 2007, but UConn appears ready to follow suit as the No. 1 overall seed Huskies of the Big East are on a rampage in the NCAA Tournament as they face No. 4 seed Alabama of the SEC in the Final Four on Saturday as double-digit favorites.

These teams played as recently as the 2022-23 season in a neutral-site game in Portland, and UConn won 82-67. The Huskies blew it open in the second half with a 16-1 run.

Alabama Crimson Tide vs. UConn Huskies 2024 March Madness Final Four Game Information

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— UConn Huskies (@UConnHuskies) April 2, 2024

• When: Saturday, April 6th, 2024 at 8:49 pm ET
• Where: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
• TV: TBS
• Radio: Tide 100.9 FM (Alabama) // 1290 AM KCUB (UConn)
• Live Stream: March Madness Live
• NCAAB Betting Odds: Alabama (+11.5) // UConn (-11.5)

Why Bet on the Alabama Crimson Tide?

Alabama (25-11) beat No. 6 Clemson 89-82 in the Elite Eight to advance to the first Final Four in school history, even though the Tigers led by as many as 13 in the first half. Mark Sears, who was named the West Region Most Valuable Player, led five UA players in double figures, finishing with a game high 23 points on 7-14 shooting from beyond the arc.

Nick Pringle collected a double-double with 16 points and 11 boards, while Jarin Stevenson added a career-best 19 points on five made threes. Rylan Griffen (13) and Aaron Estrada (10) also scored in double digits to lead the Tide. Alabama connected on 70 percent (16-23) from the floor in the second half, including knocking down 10-15 (67 percent) from beyond the arc. In addition to Sears, Alabama’s Grant Nelson was named to the West Region All-Tournament Team.

“Clemson got up 13 on us,” Coach Nate Oats said. “And after that we went on a big run to close the half to have a three-point lead. And they made some runs on us in the second half. And it seemed like we just hit timely three after timely three, whether it was Jarin or Rylan or Mark. Mark hit one, felt like it was from half court. And it was big three after big three.”

The Tide are now 19-1 this season when they score at least 89 points. During this tournament, Alabama has won a game by scoring 109 points and won another by scoring 72 points, and it has led Oats to praise the improvement the Tide have made on defense.

Why Bet on the UConn Huskies?

UConn (35-3) is on an 11-game winning streak overall, the nation’s longest, and has won all four games of this NCAA Tournament by at least 13 points after smashing a very good Illinois team 77-52 in the Elite Eight.

The Huskies opened the second half with a 25-0 explosion, part of a 30-0 overall run to turn a tight game into a laugher. That was one of the great runs in NCAA history. During it, Illinois was 0 of 17 from the floor, including 5 three-pointers, had 3 shots blocked and committed 3 turnovers. UConn, meanwhile, was 11 of 15 shooting.

“I’ve been on multiple runs before where it’s been like 24-3 or something, where the other team at least scored,” Alex Karaban said. “But 30-0 run, it’s unheard of and being a part of it, it didn’t feel real. It was just so much fun. There was so much energy going through the building. It was unbelievable.”

Illinois had the nation’s best offense besides UConn — and the Huskies held the Illini to program’s worst offensive effort since 2015. Alabama’s fast-paced, 3-point-happy style will pose a different challenge for UConn, but the Huskies certainly won’t be unprepared.

Donovan Clingan led five Huskies in double-figures with 22 points, adding 10 rebounds, five blocks and three steals. Cam Spencer had 11 points and a career-high 12 rebounds for first career double-double, and Karaban, Hassan Diarra and Samson Johnson all finished in double-figures. Stephon Castle scored only two points in the win but turned in a tremendous defensive effort, limiting Illinois’ leading scorer Terrence Shannon to 2-of-12 shooting from the floor.

Clingan became the eighth player in NCAA Tournament history to record at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in a Regional Final or later. UConn became the first team ever to outscore its opponent by 20+ points in a half at least four times in one NCAA Tournament. The previous record was 3, by Duke in 1992 and Arizona in 1988.

After shooting only 33.3 percent in the first, UConn shot a blistering 70.0 percent from the floor in the second half to finish the day 31-60 (51.7 percent). Conversely, UConn held Illinois to 17-of-67 shooting (25.4 percent). Connecticut’s seventh ticket to the Final Four joins trips in 1999, 2004, 2009, 2011, 2014 and 2023.

Dating to last season, UConn has now won 10-straight games by double-figures in the NCAA Tournament – the longest-such streak in tournament history. The Huskies are the third program in history to win their two games directly before the Final Four by 25-plus points apiece.

Alabama vs. UConn Betting Trends

• Alabama is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 games.
• Crimson Tide are 5-1 SU in its last 6 games.
• The total went over in 13 of Alabama’s last 15 games.
• UConn is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 games.
• Huskies are 10-0 SU in its last 10 games.
• The total went under in 5 of UConn’s last 5 games.

Alabama vs. UConn 2024 Final Four Expert Prediction

Alabama takes the win and heads into the Championship Game on April 8th.

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This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more 2024 March Madness Tournament previews and articles, and don’t forget to check out the latest college basketball odds on our online Crypto sportsbook.