Final Four betting favors Butler on Saturday as they play Michigan State. It is almost a home game for Butler since their University is located just a few miles from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Bulldogs are 1.5 point favorites in Final Four odds with a total of 126. Final Four betting indicates that this is the first of the two games on Saturday on CBS. It should be a close one in Final Four odds considering Michigan State has won four games in this tournament by a total of 13 points. It should also be close because both teams are #5 seeds. Michigan State has found a way to win games in the tournament under head coach Tom Izzo. Michigan State is led by Durrell Summers. He has taken about a third of all of Michigan State’s shots in the tournament.
Butler has gone under the radar a bit in this tournament if that is possible. How does a team win 24 games in a row, play what amounts to a home game in Final Four betting and not get much respect? Gordon Hayward leads Butler but the Bulldogs have a number of ways to win. They play outstanding defense and may be able to shutdown Michigan State who really only has one scoring option in Summers. Somehow Tom Izzo has gotten his team to win without Kalin Lucas but this could be the game where he is missed the most. Raymar Morgan can sometimes score as well be he turns the ball over a lot.
As you look at the trends in Final Four betting, remember that Michigan State has been a solid underdog in the tourney. The Spartans are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 NCAA Tournament games as an underdog. The Spartans are 25-10-1 ATS in their last 36 NCAA Tournament games. The Spartans are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 vs. Horizon League.
The Bulldogs are 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 vs. the Big Ten. The Bulldogs are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall. The Bulldogs are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 Saturday games. The Bulldogs are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 NCAA Tournament games. The Bulldogs are 43-21-1 ATS in their last 65 non-conference games.
If you are looking at the total in Final Four betting, keep in mind that the last four Michigan State games in the tourney when they were an underdog went over the total. Eight of the last Butler games overall have gone under.