March Madness Championship Betting Recap: UConn Goes Perfect ATS

Huskies Go from +2000 Pre-Tournament Odds to National Champs

Connecticut completed its dominant run through the NCAA Tournament on Monday, beating San Diego State 75-59 to capture the school’s fifth national championship since 1999.

In a tournament that was wildly unpredictable at times, UConn was the one constant. The Huskies outscored their six opponents by an average of 20 points, the fourth-largest average win margin since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985. They are also the fifth team in that span to win all six of their games by double digits, per NCAAB team stats.

Let’s dive deeper into the Huskies’ victory with our March Madness championship betting recap.

From In The Mix To Atop The Board

The fourth-seeded Huskies entered the tournament at+2000, sitting well behind favorites Alabama, Kansas and Houston, but as the field whittled down, the Huskies’ odds grew. By the time the Final Four rolled around, UConn had separated itself as a -125 favorite to cut down the nets in Houston.

It’s no surprise then when UConn opened the title game as a big favorite over fifth-seeded San Diego State. The 7.5-point spread was the largest in a national championship game since 2009 when North Carolina was a 7.5-point favorite over Michigan State. The Tar Heels, as you might recall, wound up covering comfortably, 89-72.

The UConn Huskies went 6-0 against the spread in the tournament and 27-12 (69.2%) on the season, the second-best overall record ATS by a national champion since 1996. Only 2018 Villanova (28-12, 70%) was better. The Huskies finished the season 16-1 ATS and 17-0 straight up versus teams outside the Big East Conference.

The only other national champions to run the table ATS were 2006 Florida, 2009 North Carolina, 2014 UConn, 2015 Duke, and 2016 and 2018 Villanova.

The Huskies (31-8) built a 16-point lead in the first half, only to see San Diego State (32-7) slice the lead to 60-55 with 5:19 left. Outside of that, there was little to worry about for UConn backers, as you’ll see in this March Madness championship betting recap. Jordan Hawkins responded with a 3-pointer to spur a 9-0 run, leaving UConn well on its way to another double-digit win.

Drake Goes Big on UConn

No stranger to big — and sometimes exotic — bets, Canadian rapper Drake joined in on the action with two wagers totaling $350,000 on UConn. Despite betting on the winning team, the music icon still lost a few thousand dollars.

Prior to Monday’s game, Drake revealed both his plays on Instagram. One was for UConn to win by between 6-10 points. He wagered $250,000 for the chance to win $1.085 million. The other was for UConn to win by at least 11 points. On that, he risked $100,000 for a crack at $230,000.

UConn ended up winning by 17 points, which meant Drake split his two bets for a net loss of $20,000.

Sanogo takes Home MOP

UConn junior Adama Sanogo went in as the favorite at +125 to win Tournament Most Outstanding Player and did just that, finishing with 17 points and 10 rebounds to record his third straight double-double and fourth of the tournament. The 6-foot-9 forward from Mali became the fifth Husky to take home Tournament MOP, following Richard Hamilton (1999), Emeka Okafor (2004), Kemba Walker (2011), and Shabazz Napier (2014).

Both Teams Go ‘Over’ The Total

At halftime, under bettors might have been feeling rather hopeful, as UConn held a 36-24 lead over San Diego State. At 60 combined points, the teams weren’t even halfway to hitting the projected total of 132.5.

But over the final 40 minutes, both offenses picked up the pace. The Huskies and Aztecs combined for 75 points in the second half, with the over-hitting with 1:07 remaining on a free throw by Hawkins. UConn was 21-of-23 at the line in the second half and 24-of-27 overall.

Huskies Among the Favorites to Repeat in ’24

Even in our March Madness championship betting recap, it’s never too early to start thinking about next season. While the transfer portal and NIL deals have transformed college sports, turning the offseason into a new-age period of free agency, it’s fair to assume UConn will be on the shortlist of national championship contenders in 2023-24.

In fact, oddsmakers have already listed the Huskies as one of the favorites to repeat. But they’re not alone. Perennial power Duke opened as a +1000 favorite when futures were posted shortly after the conclusion of Monday’s title game. Right behind the Blue Devils was Kentucky at +1200. UConn is third on the books at +1400, followed by Kansas and Marquette at +1600.

For March Madness results, odds, analysis and more, visit pointspreads.com.

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