A truly wild 2014 NCAA Tournament is set to conclude with the most unlikely pairing of No.7 Connecticut Huskies and No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats, who will combine for the highest ever seed total in the championship game’s history.
Which of these two teams will be the last one standing? Will it be John Calipari’s suddenly mature cast of freshmen, or Kevin Ollie’s ragtag crew of Huskies?
[sc:MarchMadness ]No. 7 Connecticut Huskies vs. No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats March Madness National Championship Preview
Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington
When: Monday, April 7, 9:10 PM ET
Line: No. 8 Kentucky (-2.5) at No. 7 Connecticut (+2.5); total 134.5 – view these lines
Betting on the Connecticut Huskies
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]For the fourth time since 1999, the Connecticut Huskies are going to dance in the national title game after beating heavy favorites Florida Gators in their national semifinal match-up, 63-53.
The Huskies’ defense has been terrific throughout the tournament, especially in their last two games. Against no. 4 seed Michigan State in the Elite 8 round, the Huskies limited the Spartans to just 18-46 from the field (39.1%). Against No. 1 Florida, they shut down Scottie Wilbekin and company, holding down the favorites to 19-49 (38.8%) shooting.
Connecticut’s brightest star, Shabazz Napier, is putting up 21 PPG during the tournament. However, he’s hardly the only one keeping the Huskies alive, having put up just 12 in the team’s Final Four showdown. Flanking the senior is junior DeAndre Daniels, who is averaging 17.6 PPG and 7.4 RPG.
Though Kentucky isn’t a prolific three-point shooting team, the Huskies still need to fortify their defense against the three-ball, one of Connecticut’s weaknesses in the tournament. The Huskies allowed Villanova and Michigan State to knock down 11 triples against them in the tournament.
The Huskies head to the national championship game carrying records of 5-0 SU and ATS in their last five games. Moreover, they are a proven school when it comes to the national final: they are a perfect 3-0 all-time in the National Championship Game.
Betting on the Kentucky Wildcats
No. 8 Kentucky slowed down Wisconsin’s big man, Frank Kaminsky, and relied once again on Aaron Harrison’s late game heroics to punch their tickets to the NCAA National Championship game via a 74-73 win in the national semifinals.
Like their opponent in the national finals, the Wildcats are undefeated against the spread in the tournament. They are 7-0-1 ATS in their last eight games.
The suddenly-steady Wildcats owe their success to their balanced scoring and high efficiency from the field. In their last five games, at least three players have scored in double digits for the Wildcats. Overall, Kentucky is shooting 47% in the tournament.
Kentucky’s diverse source of offense means trouble for the Huskies. Though Connecticut is a good defensive team, going up against a team with lots of options on offense has given Kevin Ollie’s team difficulty. One example is the Huskies’ 89-81 overtime victory against St. Joseph’s in the second round where the Hawks had five players score 12 or more points on 50% shooting.
The 1-2 punch of Julius Randle and Aaron Harrison will be key in the finals for the Wildcats. Randle is averaging 15.8 PPG while Harrison has put up 14.4 PPG. Harrison also has the impressive distinction of having hit the game-winning threes in the final moments of Kentucky’s last three wins.
With an offense firing on all cylinders, the Wildcats have extended their streak of going over the totals to four games heading into the titular showdown against Connecticut.
Prediction
Kentucky has too many weapons on offense, which will confuse the Huskies’ defense. Though Shabazz Napier will have his usual scoring numbers, the Wildcats will cover in their most comfortable win since the Round of 64.
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