Expert Picks for the Men’s Final Four: Top Bets & Props for the 2024 NCAA Tournament Semifinals

We have compiled our expert Final Four picks by analyzing the highest Final Four odds from the top March Madness betting sites as we head into the fifth round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.

The first game of the Final Four will feature the NC State Wolfpack (26-14) taking on the Purdue Boilermakers (33-4) in a semifinal showdown scheduled to begin at 6:09 p.m. ET at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, this Saturday.

After playing in the first game, the Alabama Crimson Tide (25-11) will face off against the UConn Huskies (35-3), the favored team according to March Madness odds, at 8:49 p.m. ET on TBS.

With excitement growing for the upcoming matchups, our experts are thoroughly analyzing the games and providing their top picks for the semifinals. They are using the most up-to-date March Madness odds from our top sports betting sites to reveal their predictions for the Final Four.

Make sure to take a look at our predictions for the NC State vs. Purdue and Alabama vs. UConn matchups.

Expert picks for the Men’s Final Four

Morgan Xaviero and Richardson Lilliana make their selections and rate their confidence on a scale of 1 to 5 stars.

This product is not intended for use in MAAffiliate disclosure: Underscoreg Review may earn advertising commissions for visits to a sportsbook.

NC State vs. Purdue

Purdue has sailed through the NCAA Tournament, with an average winning margin of 21.2 points in the first four rounds. In their closest game yet, a six-point victory over No. 2 seed Tennessee, Zach Edey stood out as a dominant player. Despite facing a tough defense ranked third in adjusted efficiency by KenPom, Edey, the favorite for the Wooden Award, scored 40 points and grabbed 16 rebounds.

With the Wolfpack defense ranked just 44th in adjusted efficiency and struggling with fouls, it will be extremely difficult for NC State to slow down Edey. Not only are the Wolfpack undersized against him, with no players over 6-foot-10, but they also have a poor matchup due to their tendency to foul frequently.

NC State committed the second highest number of fouls in ACC play this season (19.5), while Edey has an impressive free throw rate, leading the NCAA with an average of 11.5 free throws per game. With Purdue as their opponent, it seems unlikely that NC State will make history as the first No. 11 seed to reach the NCAA Tournament final.

Richardson Lilliana is on Twitter with the handle @X.

D.J. Burns has become the favorite of this year’s tournament, and rightfully so. However, the Wolfpack’s fan-favorite will face a challenge in keeping up his scoring streak in Saturday’s semifinals.

Standing at 6-foot-9 and weighing 275 pounds, Burns has used his size advantage to dominate against smaller frontcourts. However, he will be facing a towering opponent in Purdue’s Edey, who is 7-foot-4, 300 pounds and a formidable defensive presence for big men.

I have doubts that Burns will be able to avoid foul trouble against Edey and the Boilermakers, who have consistently drawn fouls and gotten to the free-throw line throughout the tournament. Even if Burns does manage to play 25-30 minutes, I don’t anticipate a standout performance from the NC State center.

– Follow Morgan Xaviero on Twitter at @XavieroSBR.

Alabama vs. UConn

Nate Oats’ fast-paced strategy and emphasis on 3-point shooting make nearly every Alabama game a high-scoring shootout. While both teams usually rack up plenty of points, the Crimson Tide’s offensive prowess typically leads them to victory.

Nevertheless, Alabama has yet to face a team as talented as UConn or a dominant center like Donovan Clingan. Clingan, the Huskies’ big man, poses a significant threat to Edey in terms of March Madness MVP odds, especially after scoring 22 points against Illinois in the Elite Eight.

With Clingan leading the way, UConn possesses the offensive skill to take advantage of Alabama’s defense and outscore their offense. Alabama struggles inside the arc, allowing an average of 20.3 made 2-pointers per game, an area where Clingan excels. It seems unlikely that a team with such a weak defense like Alabama could pull off an upset against the Huskies.

— Paul

The Crimson Tide came into the tournament as one of the top offensive teams in the country, and Oats’ team has elevated their game in the past two weeks with a rapid pace and a multitude of skilled scorers.

It will be a challenge to score against the UConn defense, which is ranked fourth in adjusted efficiency and recently shut down the top offense in the country in Illinois. This game will be the fourth in a row where a team has scored fewer than 60 points against the Huskies, who have only allowed 75 or more points six times this year and just once in their last 11 games.

Clingan’s strong defense in the paint may force Alabama to rely on their outside shooting to outperform the Fighting Illini, who struggled to score only 52 points in the Elite Eight. The Crimson Tide is capable of surpassing that mark, but a high-scoring game is unlikely on Saturday.

— Cowart

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• Top Live Betting Sites with the Best Promotions (available in the U.S. only)