The Connecticut Huskies will attempt to keep up their dominant ways in the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Saturday when they face the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Final Four. The East Region champion Huskies (35-3), who are the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, can advance to Monday's title game with a win and have an opportunity to become the first back-to-back champion since Florida in 2006 and 2007. The West Region champion Crimson Tide (25-11) are making their first Final Four appearance in program history and hope to make it memorable by pulling a massive upset.
Tipoff is set for 8:49 p.m. ET from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The Huskies are 11.5-point favorites and the over/under for total points scored is 160.5 in the latest Alabama vs. UConn odds via SportsLine consensus. Before making any UConn vs. Alabama picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Zack Cimini.
A Las Vegas handicapper who's never afraid to buck conventional wisdom, Cimini enters the Final Four as SportsLine's most profitable college basketball expert. He's 85-60-2 on his last 147college basketball picks, returning $1,850 for $100 players. Anyone following him has seen massive returns.
Now, he has his sights on Alabama vs. UConn in the 2024 Final Four and just locked in his picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several college basketball oddsand trends for UConn vs. Alabama:
- Alabama vs. UConn point spread: UConn -11.5
- Alabama vs. UConn over/under total: 160.5 points
- Alabama vs. UConn money line: Connecticut -727, Alabama +499
- BAMA: The Crimson Tide are 11-6 against the spread in non-conference games this season.
- UCONN: The Huskies have won their four NCAA Tournament games by an average of 27.7 points.
- Alabama vs. UConn picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why UConn can cover
Sophom*ore center Donovan Clingan has been the breakout star of Connecticut's 2024 NCAA Tournament run, and he's bound to play another key role Saturday in the Final Four. Clingan has not only improved his offensive game to where he's a threat to score every time he touches the ball, he's also improved at handling double teams and has eight assists through the first four games in the Big Dance.
What's more, his ability to stay on the floor while avoiding the foul trouble that often plagues players his size, has been a luxury for the Huskies. Clingan has struggled with foul trouble at times this season, but his availability hasn't been an issue in the NCAA Tournament. In fact, he picked up just one foul in the Elite Eight blowout of Illinois.
This is noteworthy because the Fighting Illini's game plan was clearly targeted toward getting Clingan in foul trouble and limiting his impact in the game. Instead, Illinois players repeatedly saw their shots swatted away by Clingan, who finished with five blocks, or threw up low-percentage heaves that missed while Clingan stood his ground without fouling.See which team to pick at SportsLine.
Why Alabama can cover
Alabama coach Nate Oats is widely considered a rising star in the sport and the school recently rewarded him with a massive extension that will make him among the top-five paid coaches in the country. The new contract will also make it difficult for potential suitors to lure him away from the Crimson Tide. Oats, 49, was already heralded for leading the Tide to the Sweet 16 twice in his first four seasons, a feat that hadn't been accomplished at the school since 2004. Now, in his fifth season, he has led Alabama to its first Final Fourth berth in program history.
But it's worth noting that Oats already had a reputation as a giant killer at previous stops. In four years at Buffalo, he led the Bulls to three NCAA Tournament appearances and reached the second round twice. The program hasn't reached the Big Dance since Oats' departure following the 2019 season. Perhaps his most memorable win at Buffalo came in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament when the No. 13-seeded Bulls beat No. 4-seeded Arizona 89-68 as a 10-point underdog. He will attempt to duplicate that feat on a much bigger stage Saturday.
"We have to figure out how to beat them. But I think more college teams are starting to play more efficient style basketball like we've been playing," Oats told the media.See which team to pick at SportsLine.
How to make Alabama vs. UConn picks
Cimini is leaning Over on the point total. He has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread.He's only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.
So who wins UConn vs. Alabama in the 2024 Final Four, and what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the expert on an 85-60 roll on his college basketball best bets, and find out.
