The final game of this year’s Final Four is the headliner on Saturday’s doubleheader slate as No. 4 seed UConn and No. 5 seed Miami meet in Houston for the right to play in the national championship game. Tipoff for Saturday is set for 8:49 p.m. ET at NRG Stadium.
Miami is making its first Final Four appearance in program history and fighting for its first men’s basketball national championship. A 5.5 point favorite, UConn enters the game in search of its fifth national championship on the heels of a dominant four-game NCAA Tournament stretch with wins of 15 or more points in each of its outings.
Miami has covered the spread in each of its games this March Madness and UConn has blitzed everyone it has lined up against. Something has to give Saturday. We should be in for a fun final weekend as we inch closer to crowning a champion.
Watch UConn vs. Miami in Final Four
Date: Saturday, April 1 | Time: 8:49 p.m. ET
Location: NRG Stadium — Houston
TV: CBS | Live stream: March Madness Live
UConn vs. Miami: What to know
If styles do indeed make fights, then Saturday’s finale may go all 10 rounds between two heavyweight contenders. Both UConn and Miami have top-five offenses in adjusted efficiency ratings on the season comprised of different attacks. Miami funnels its offense through its guards and relies on Nijel Pack, Jordan Miller and Isaiah Wong to play-make on the perimeter.
UConn runs its offense through big man Adama Sanogo and buttresses its attack through an NBA-caliber backcourt comprised by Jordan Hawkins, Tristen Newton and Andre Jackson. Sanogo is averaging a double-double during this NCAA Tournament and is fresh off a super-show in the Elite Eight in which he grabbed 10 boards, added 10 points and tallied a season-high six assists, capitalizing off of the extra attention Gonzaga paid to him in the post.
UConn vs. Miami prediction
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook
UConn is on a dominant run with four wins of 15 or more points en route to its Final Four appearance. Miami, meanwhile, has covered in every game during the NCAA Tournament and has been at its best as an underdog; it is 9-2 on the season ATS. So something has to give, and I think the ‘Canes side folds. The Huskies are playing in a different stratosphere than everyone else in the field right now and have the inside-out balance to win in a similar fashion as they have done all postseason. Pick: UConn -5.5
