Both teams have won five games to get here, and now Butler plays Connecticut at 9:23 ET on CBS, and that one game decides the 2011 NCAA basketball Tournament champion.
Game Odds:
Connecticut 3.5-point favorite over Butler.
Connecticut 60% chance to win. Butler 40%.
Total number of expected points both teams combined: 129 points
Early action has been Butler (spread opened -4, and has been bet DOWN)
Underdogs:
NONE of the Top 13 pre-tournament favorites made the Championship game:
U Conn was the 14th favorite at 32 to 1.
Butler was the 32nd favorite at 200 to 1.
Butler has been underdogs in 4 of 5 tourney games.
If you started w/$10, and bet Butler (money line) and let your winnings ride on all 5 of their NCAA games, you'd have $1,470
Bracket Facts:
#8 Butler is the first team in 26 YEARS seeded worse than #6 to play in the NCAA Finals.
For 22 straight years the champion has been a #4 seed or better!
Underdogs winning:
Teams favored by less than double digits have won only 50% of games (23 of 46)
Game Props:
10%: chance that either team wins by 22 or more points
13: over/under for total number 3-point field goals made by both teams
13.5 points: over/under for largest lead by either team at any point during the game
Most Outstanding Player odds:
45% Kemba Walker
25% Matt Howard
30% Any other player
Total points scored:
Kemba Walker favored by 5-points over Shelvin Mack
Comment . . .
What is the most surprising fact in this story?