The NCAA tournament is one of the most exciting events in all sports, as the one-game elimination setup makes it likelier to see upsets compared to a best-of-seven format. This year’s tournament had the second-ever No. 16 seed upsetting a No. 1 (FDU over Purdue), the third No. 15 seed making the Sweet 16 (Princeton), and was the first year ever where no No. 1 seeds made the Elite Eight and no top-three seeds made the Final Four. And while the UConn Huskies showed flashes of dominance this year, at one point being the No. 2 ranked team in the AP poll, the San Diego State Aztecs were considered an afterthought wit h 65-1 odds to win it all pre-tournament.
Though this is a national championship matchup of a No. 4 seed and a No. 5 seed, it still has a David vs. Goliath feel to it, as UConn is 4-0 in national championship games (all since 1999), while San Diego State is making its first national championship game appearance in school history.
Here are our best bets for the point spread, over/under, and our favorite prop for Monday’s national championship.
Lamont Butler's game-winning buzzer-beater was the 5th in a Final Four game all-time.