Alabama vs. UConn: Final Four Preview & Pick

The road to the Final Four is complete as we await the weekend’s national semifinals to determine who will compete for a national championship on Monday night.

Let’s take a look at Saturday night’s Final Four matchup between Alabama and UConn, including tip times, television coverage, betting odds, and a brief preview of what to watch for, along with our best bet:

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How to Watch No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 UConn

• TV: TBS/TNT/truTV | Streaming: March Madness Live App
• Time: 8:49 p.m. ET  |  Location: State Farm Stadium – Glendale, AZ

No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 UConn FanDuel Odds

• Spread: Alabama +11.5 (-106) | UConn -11.5 (-114)
• Moneyline: Alabama (+530) | UConn (-780)
• Total: OVER 161.5 (-108) | UNDER 161.5 (-112)

As we’ve mentioned at every juncture of the NCAA Tournament with the Huskies, there is zero chance we will fade them with how they are playing right now. If UConn can go on and win the national championship, they will be in the running to be considered the best college basketball team of all time. They have proven time and time again that they can win against any style of opponent with their ability to find success in almost any matchup. Whoever isn’t receiving attention from the defense will make the opponent pay for it. It’s a catch-22 situation for most opponents.

Alabama has the horses on offense to keep up with the Huskies, but its defense has been its bugaboo all season. With UConn’s fluidity, ball movement, and constant action, the Tide will struggle to keep up on the defensive end. If we had to give Nate Oats’s squad a fighting chance, it would have to be how Creighton got it done in UConn’s previous loss. The Tide will have to become scorched earth for most of the game from beyond the arc, and they’ll have a fighter’s chance to pull this one off. If they shoot below 40 percent from three, we don’t see how they get it done here.

Not only are the Huskies simply the best team in the country, but head coach Dan Hurley’s got some fuel for the fire this weekend. UConn dealt with some serious travel issues with their flight from Hartford to Phoenix, making them the last team to get to the Final Four. We’re sure he’ll find a way to use that to fire up his players, and we will not get in the way of that freight train. It’s one of the bigger spreads we have seen in a national semifinal in recent years, but we’ll still lay it here and back the Huskies.

The Pick: UConn -11.5

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