2024 Men's NCAA Tournament: Best bets for Saturday's Final Four games

The teams left in the Men's NCAA March Madness Tournament will compete in the Final Four this weekend for a bid to play in the national championship on April 8th at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

The Connecticut Huskies advanced to the Final Four following a 77-52 victory over Illinois, while Alabama secured their first Final Four appearance with an 89-82 win against Clemson in the Elite Eight.

Zach Edey, a finalist for the Wooden Award, played a pivotal role in leading Purdue to a 72-66 victory over Tennessee, earning the Boilermakers their first Final Four appearance in 44 years. Despite being considered underdogs in the tournament, N.C. State pulled off a stunning 76-64 upset against Duke, further propelling their Cinderella run towards the national championship.

Now, No. 1 seed Purdue will face No. 11 seed NC State, while top-seeded and defending champions UConn will take on No. 4-seeded Alabama to advance to the title game.

Here are the best bets for the Final Four, according to BetMGM.

Final Four bracket: Odds, lines, spreads for every remaining 2024 March Madness game

Men's Final Four Best Bets

NC State vs. Purdue: NC State +9.5

According to BetMGM, NC State has covered the spread in seven out of their last eight games.

Chase Kiddey writes that he would like to see Purdue advance from a bracket perspective but said, "For my own bet, I’m splitting the difference and taking NC State plus the 9.5 points. I do think it’ll be a competitive game, which makes a big number like this quite appealing."

Alabama vs. UConn: Alabama +11.5

The UConn Huskies have been the most solid team in the NCAA Tournament, outscoring their opponents by an average of 23.1 points per game.

Chase Kennedy writes: "Alabama can score in bunches because of how they focus on the 3-point shot. Does that mean the Crimson Tide are going to win? Probably not. But 11.5 points – up from 10.5 at open, by the way – feels like way too much to give a team that can score this effectively. Maybe UConn wins the last two games by 40 points each, and the public continues to get rich by blind-betting UConn spreads. It’s possible. Anything is possible! That said, the history and fundamentals say that Alabama is probably the right side in this game."

Alabama vs. UConn: UConn team total Over 86.5

The UConn Huskies are known for their impressive offense and their ability to create opportunities to score. They don't rely on pace to win games. Alabama, on the other hand, has allowed their opponents to score over 80 points in three out of the four NCAA games they have played. Given the Huskies' strong performance in the tournament, it seems like a good bet that they will come out on top with a high team total.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2024 Final Four best betting picks for Saturday's semifinal games