NCAA Final Four: Baylor Vs. Houston, Gonzaga Vs. UCLA
Published April 1, 2021 by Sol FH
The NCAA Final Four tips-off Saturday Night at 22:15 GMT and at 1:30 GMT, respectively.
That is it, it is finally here! The NCAA Final Four is set to tip-off on Saturday Night feature four teams that have taken different routes to get here. First, we will take a look at the first game between Baylor and Houston, following by Gonzaga and UCLA.
Baylor (1) vs. Houston (2)
The first game of the night is between the Baylor Bears and the Houston Cougars. Until this point, both teams had been the favorites in all of their games but as we get down to the wire, not much separates them with regards to the odds. Houston is a #2 ranked team in the tournament and has beaten some great teams to get here.
This Houston team is tough and as active, and relentless as any in the tournament.
Houston is not Gonzaga, rather they put together 40-minutes of consistent basketball that has not been easy so far. Their win over Oregon was almost blown, but, when it came down to the wire, the Cougars put it together and found a way to win.
In contrast to the Oregon State defeat, the Beavers hit 38% from beyond the 3-point line against Houston. That was just enough to get back in the game and make it competitive. But, which team leads the nation in 3's?
Baylor, as it proved again in their win against Arkansas drilling 8-of-15 for three.
bet365 Sports likes Baylor at 1.47, while the Cougars are at 2.75.
Gonzaga (1) vs. UCLA (11)
Gonzaga is only two wins away from achieving a loss-less season. Gonzaga (30-0) is the favorite to win the national championship for the second time under coach Mark Few. They destroyed USC in the West Region Final with an 85-66 win.
UCLA (22-9) has won more national championships than any other team in Division I. The total number is 11 so historically, UCLA has tons of experience in the late stages of the tournament. The Bruins are back in the Final Four for the first time since 2008, as Coach Mick Cronin has been in charge of an impressive run, which was capped with a 51-49 upset over the No. 1 seeded Michigan in the East Region final.
The odds in this game are in favor of Gonzaga at a wild 1.08. The Bruins are way back at 8.00 and need to play their best game of the year if they want to beat the undefeated Bulldogs.