Unlikely UConn run to national title game puts gamblers in position to win big

The Connecticut men's basketball team lost its final regular-season game against Louisville by 33 points, causing plenty of doubt about the Huskies entering the NCAA tournament despite a strong performance in the American Athletic Conference tournament.

Those who did keep the faith with the Huskies by betting on them to win the national title are tantalizingly close to nice payday after UConn upset the No. 1 overall seed Florida Gators 63-53 in the Final Four on Saturday. UConn is the first No. 7 seed to earn a spot in the title game.

UConn was at or close to 100-1 odds depending on where bets were made and when they were made before the tournament started. One anonymous gambler, who placed bets at Hooters Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, made a killing on the Huskies in the conference tournament and earlier in the NCAA tournament. No word on whether that person continued to let it ride, but here's one that called its shot before the tourney even started.

According to sports-odds.com, Florida was +550 at the start of the tournament, meaning a $100 bet on the Gators would have paid $550. Wisconsin was +2200 and Kentucky was +5000. So regardless of who wins Monday night, there will be a few very happy gamblers out there to make up for all of us who missed out on bragging rights in the NCAA office pool.

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Kyle Ringo

is the assistant editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at kyle.ringo@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KyleRingo